Diana Shmukler

Structured vs. Unstructured Play Training with Economically Disadvantaged Preschoolers

One-hundred-sixteen white South African preschoolers from severely economically disadvantaged circumstances were divided into four groups: a structured play training intervention group, an unstructured play training intervention group, and attention control group, and a nonintervention control group with twenty-six, twenty-eight, fourteen, and twenty-five children respectively, available for posttraining assessment. Prior to intervention, assessments of play, divergent thinking skills, story-telling ability, verbal and nonverbal IQ and locus of control were made. Intervention according to the groups was carried out and the assessments were repeated a month after completion of training. Analyses of covariance revealed significant increases for both forms of play training over both control groups for all measures except nonverbal IQ and aggression. There was no differential advantage found between the type of intervention used. Neither was imaginative predisposition found to be a factor related to increases in imaginative play. It was concluded that both the question of structure and imaginative predisposition in relation to play training would be better examined in a less extremely disadvantaged group.

Early Home Background Features in Relation to Imaginative and Creative Expression in Third Grade

A follow-up investigation was carried out on seventy-three third graders from an original sample of 114 mother-child pairs, who were observed and tested when the children were preschoolers. Four third grade criteria of imaginative and creative expression were shown to be related to earlier measures and assessments of imaginative predisposition. Each criterion related to differential features of the early home background. This study endorsed the finding, however, that an optimal balance between involvement, caring and warmth on the part of the preschoolers mother and a willingness to let the child explore at his/her own pace leads to future creative and imaginative expression.

Preschool Imaginative Play Predisposition and its Relationship to Subsequent Third Grade Assessment

A longitudinal study is described which addresses the question of the course of imaginative play predisposition. Preschool assessments of imaginativeness are related to third grade testing of cognitive and affective variables. A retest sample of seventy-three children were followed up some three years after the original preschool assessments of imaginative predisposition were made. Considerable support was provided for the validity of the earlier factorial multidimensional conception of imaginative predisposition. Further the early assessments were found to be predictive and strongly related to third grade expression of imagination, creativity and other related cognitive and emotional features such as reading, language comprehension, and independence and maturity.

Sexual Attitudes and Behaviour of Indian South African Adolescents

No prior research has been conducted into sexuality among Indian adolescents, although adolescence is a critical stage in the human life cycle for psychosocial and psychosexual development. The present study aimed at investigating the sexual attitudes and behaviour of a sample of Indian South African adolescents. Two hypotheses were formulated: there is a significant difference between the sexes in their sexual attitudes and behaviour; there is a significant relationship between socio-cultural background/traditionalism of the respondents and their sexual attitudes and behaviour. Self-completion questionnaires were administered to samples of 25 males and 25 females from each of four high schools in the Johannesburg area (N = 200). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant difference between the sexes in their sexual attitudes and behaviour. A significant relationship between socio-cultural background/traditionalism and sexual attitudes and behaviour was also established.

Sex-role Orientation and Psychological Well-being: A Critique of the Masculinity Model

As a model of the relationship between sex-role orientation and psychological well-being, the masculinity model has proved more successful than either the androgyny or the congruence models. In this article, it is, nevertheless, argued that the model has many shortcomings and limitations which need to be addressed by future research. The central criticisms of the model are that it fails to provide a theoretical understanding of its own success, cannot infer causality and represents an oversimplification of psychological life.

A Pilot Study of World View of Black and White South African Adolescent Pupils: Implications for Cross-Cultural Counselling

Research on cross-cultural counselling and psychotherapy began to receive emphasis in the 1970s in the United States. In South Africa the need to devise relevant help for the majority black population and to contextualize psychological services is being increasingly addressed in the literature. In the present study differences in world view between black and white South African adolescent pupils (n = 200) were investigated. The use of a scale to assess world view across culture indicated significant differences in black and white adolescent pupils’ world view in the areas of Human Nature, Human Relationships, People-Nature, Time Orientation, and Activity. The effect of age and sex on individual variation in scores within groups was also investigated. The implications of the findings of the study for cross-cultural counselling are discussed as well as recommendations for further research using the World View Scale.

Emotional Adjustment and Self-Concept of Children from Divorced and Nondivorced Unhappy Homes

Summary The present study compares the emotional adjustment and self-concept of sixth-grade children whose parents are divorced (n = 20) or separated (n = 20) with that of children from happy or unhappy homes (n = 20). Ss completed the Family-Story-Test, as well as the pre-adolescent form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem inventory. Results suggest that children from an unhappy but intact home have more problematical attitudes and lower self-esteem than children from either divorced or happy intact homes.

Imaginative Play in Pre-School Children as an Indicator of Emotional and Cognitive Development

Although imaginative play in children has long been of interest to psychologists it is only recently that it has become a topic for serious psychological research, largely through the groundbreaking work of J. Singer and his associates at Yale. In the present paper a summary of the major research focus on imaginative play is presented. Research outlining some of the correlates of the predisposition to imaginative play, studies linking imaginative play and creativity, the effects of the structure of toys and clinical applications are discussed.

Book Review: Development and HandicapDevelopment and handicap:LewisVickyBasil Blackwell Ltd., Oxford, England, 1987213 pp. £7,95 (paperback)

aspects of both Western psychology and the original experiential world of the South African communities. There is a creative tension in the contact between the West and Africa. The two traditions can influence and enrich one another. They need not be in opposition. Through meaningful dialogue our insight into the human psyche could be deepened, leading to greater understanding of the complexity of mind and behaviour. In summary: Psychology in context is one of the best books on cross-cultural psychology yet to be published in South Africa. Its main contribution is in helping to lay sound foundations for the future development of this discipline.