Brandon Morgan

The relationship between the big five personality traits and burnout in South African university students

Research on burnout has tended to explore the organisational factors associated with this condition. However, an important factor that is often overlooked is the relationship between burnout and personality. We explored this relationship in South African university students. The participants completed the Basic Traits Inventory — Short, the Maslach Burnout Inventory — Student Survey and a biographical questionnaire. The results revealed several significant relationships between personality traits and burnout with personality explaining a sizeable degree of variance in burnout. Neuroticism, Extroversion and Conscientiousness demonstrated a relationship with all three burnout constructs (emotional exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy). Personality traits explained 13% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 12.8% of the variance in cynicism and 24.8% of the variance in professional efficacy.

Operationalizing burnout in the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey: personal efficacy versus personal inefficacy

Burnout is conceptualized and measured as a three-dimensional construct consisting of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and personal efficacy. Research suggests that the personal efficacy scale be replaced by a personal inefficacy scale. The purpose of this study was to explore (a) differences in the general factor saturation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey when efficacy or inefficacy items are included, (b) the strength of the correlations of the efficacy versus inefficacy scales with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and (c) the reliabilities of the different subscales. Two unrestricted maximum likelihood item factor analyses with bifactor rotations were conducted on data collected from 522 South African university students. The results indicate that the inefficacy scale loads more strongly on a general burnout factor than does the efficacy scale, the inefficacy scale correlates more strongly with the exhaustion and cynicism scales, and the inefficacy scale is more reliable than the efficacy scale. Jointly this implies that the inefficacy scale, rather than the efficacy scale, should be used in the measurement of burnout.

Constructing Holland’s Hexagon in South Africa Development and Initial Validation of the South African Career Interest Inventory

The purpose of this study was to document the development of the South African Career Interest Inventory and to examine the structural validity of Holland’s circular/hexagonal model in the South African context. The validity of Holland’s model was investigated in a sample of 985 university students in Study 1 and 175 university students and adults in Study 2. The randomization test of hypothesized order relations and covariance structure modeling were used to investigate the fit of a tight circular ordering and four circumplex models. The randomization test found good fit for the tight circular ordering in both the studies. Covariance structure modeling demonstrated unsatisfactory fit across the four circumplex models in Study 1 but satisfactory fit in Study 2. The results suggest that the structural validity of Holland’s circular ordering model in South Africa is tenable. Recommendations for research and practice are presented.

Career Counselling in the 21st Century: A Reaction Article

This article reviews the articles on career counselling in the special edition of the Journal of Psychology in Africa. A thematic analysis to the content of the articles was conducted and common themes extrapolated. The main themes were (a) the shift toward postmodern career counselling, (b) the importance of cultural sensitivity in career counselling practice and (c) adolescents career development. This is followed by a reaction comment.

Gender differences in Holland's circular/circumplex interest structure as measured by the South African Career Interest Inventory

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the structural validity of Holland’s circular/circumplex model across men and women in South Africa and compare mean score differences in the people–things and data–ideas dimensions underlying the circular/circumplex model. The validity of Holland’s model was examined on a sample of 500 men and 500 women. The randomization test of hypothesized order relations, salience ratios, and t-tests were used to examine the structural validity and mean score differences. The randomization test found good fit to a tight circular ordering model for men and women and indicated that the fit was similar across gender. The salience ratios indicated that both dimensions were equally salient for men and women. Finally, t-tests found statistically significant and meaningful differences on the people–things and data–ideas dimensions. As a whole, the results suggest that Holland’s circular/circumplex model is valid across gender and therefore that Holland’s model is tenable in South Africa. Recommendations for research and practice are presented.

The Lived Experience of Losing a Sibling through Murder

Abstract This study explores the grief experiences of young adults in the aftermath of the murder of a sibling. Three young adults were recruited to participate in interviews in which they described their lived experience of loss. Data collection and the subsequent analyses were guided by a phenomenological research design and resulted in the identification of seven major themes, namely (1) shock and disbelief, (2) recollection, guilt and self-blame, (3) rupture and fragmentation, (4) support, (5) justice and revenge, (6) reformulation, and (7) resilience, healing and growth. These themes are discussed with reference to the findings of other documented studies, and the implications for practitioners working with bereaved siblings of murder victims pointed to.

Structural Validity of Holland’s Circumplex Model of Vocational Personality Types in Africa:

This study investigated the construct (structural) validity of Holland’s circumplex model of vocational personality types in Africa. Data were obtained on the general occupational themes of the Strong Interest Inventory for 28 countries. These countries were classified into three different geographic regions (Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and Western Africa). The randomization test and circumplex covariance structure modeling were used to investigate the fit of Holland’s circumplex model across these regions. Results provide preliminary evidence for the generalizability of Holland’s model in the African context. Inspection of the angular locations of the six vocational personality types in two-dimensional space indicated slight disordering of the types in the Eastern Africa region and the correct ordering of the types in the Southern and Western African regions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Counseling People of African Ancestry, E. Mpofu (Ed.) : book review

“How can I be useful to you?” This is the opening question that Mark Savickas (American Psychological Association, 2006; Collin, 2001, p. 121) poses in any career counselling session. It is this question that I had to consider when reviewing Counseling People ofAfrican Ancestry. Id est. how can I review this book in a way that will be useful to readers? Accordingly, while reading it, I decided that the most useful approach is to both describe the contents of the book and share thoughts that I had while engaging with it. The review commences with an overview of the book and a description of the structure of the chapters. Hereafter I briefly mention the contents of each chapter in the book. Finally, I share three thoughts that emerged during my reading.

An investigation of the psychometric properties of the Maree Career Matrix

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and structural validity of the Maree Career Matrix when used to measure the vocational interests of adults. Reliability of the 19 Maree Career Matrix interest categories were investigated using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega total and the structural validity of these 19 interest categories was examined using principal components analysis. Results indicated mostly satisfactory reliability of the 19 interest categories when used for discussion of interest profiles and that the 19 interest categories formed approximate circular ordering consistent with Holland’s circumplex model of vocational personality types. These results provide initial support for the reliability and structural validity of the Maree Career Matrix when used to measure the vocational interests of adults. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Women Who Kill in Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Content Analysis of Media Reports

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the biographical background and nature of the murder of women who have killed in post-apartheid South Africa. Archival newspaper data were examined and analysed for incidence of murders, the relationships between the women and the victims, sourcing of a third party to carry out the murder, the weapons used in the murder and motivations for the murder. The results suggest that most women who murder do so in the context of filicide or mariticide, the victims are typically someone well-known to the women, sourcing of a third party to commit the murder is relatively common, a knife and gun are the most frequently used weapon to commit the murder and that the primary motivations are financial difficulties or gain. Implications for research and practice are discussed.