Research Projects Faculty of Humanities

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Am I safe?: Homosexual perceptions of physical safety in Cape Town’s nightlife
(The IIE, 2020) Nattee, Luke Emilio
South African society, whilst progressive in terms of its constitutional view of homosexuality, is still instilled with homophobic discrimination and violence that detrimentally affects those on both group and individual levels (Boonzaier & Zway, 2015; Mostert, Gordon & Kriegler, 2015). This poses a threat to the physical and psychological well-being of homosexual individuals (Polders, Nel, Kruger & Wells, 2008) which is, in part, due to the perceptions one has of their own safety (Lorenc, Petticrew, & Whitehead, 2014; Machielse, 2015). A need to understand such perceptions is therefore evident. In order to attain the perceptions homosexual individuals held towards their physical safety, qualitative data collection methods were adopted. This approach was necessary as qualitative methods value individual and subjective experience, aspects that are key when attempting to attain perceptive insights (Ponterotto, 2005). The findings showed that the perceptions homosexual individuals held towards their physical safety varied greatly. Additionally, three themes, these being; determinants of safety, positive or negative experience, and precautionary actions, were found consistently in the collected data, and have been addressed in detail. These findings aided in addressing the gap in existing literature pertaining to the homosexual experience in South Africa from within the field of psychology.
A comparative case study of the strategic internet communication of one local and one international contemporary organisation
(The IIE, 2017) Getkate, Grant
The following study was a comparative case study of the strategic internet communication of one local and one international contemporary organisation. The study was conducted in order to assess the strategic online communication of two organisations operating in retail, in different regions. The study sought to evaluate the ways in which the respective organisations seemingly wished to position themselves towards stakeholders and shareholders of the organisations. The population of the study involved any form of strategic internet-based communication produced by, or about, the chosen organisations. The data collection method for the study was that of desk research, a form of secondary research. Data analysis was conducted by means of content analysis. Interpreted findings noted that both organisations similarly communicated their consumer/customer consideration, their environmental and social consciousness in stated procedures and policies as well as their proud traditions, growth and market leadership. The study aimed to contribute to the strategic organisational communication body of knowledge by employing a comparative case study for structuration of findings. Positioning theory was applied as a theoretical framework through which to view the data and underpin findings. Future studies may seek to combine the use of case studies and positioning theory to analyse strategic communication.
A comparative, qualitative study to determine what factors motivate men and women in Durban to exercise at gym
(The IIE, 2020) McCleary, Kylie
Many men and women have gym contracts, but do not always feel motivated to workout at gym. There are several motivational factors which motivate men and women to workout at gym, of which, this study aims to identify. The current literature available on what factors that motivate men and women to exercise at gym is minimal in the South African context. Therefore, this study attempts to contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of sports psychology, in regard to what motivates South African men and women to workout at gym. As this study is qualitative, the sample consisted of four participants, two men and two women residing in Durban, South Africa, in order to gather data through semi-structured interviews. From the data collected, it can be noted that men are more intrinsically motivated, including their health and accomplishment, where women are more motivated by extrinsic factors, such as physical appearance and accountability to others. Due to this study using a purposive sampling method, it is encouraged that further research is done on a wider demographical group of individuals from different racial groups, age groups, and socio-economic backgrounds as this study included urban area, Durban based participants only.
A cross-sectional phenomenological exploration of the experience of volunteers at a Durban-based NPO
(The IIE, 2020) Barnes, Jenna Anne
In South Africa (SA), Mental Health (MH) services are under-resourced and over-burdened, therefore much of the MH service provision is provided by voluntary Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) who are reliant on volunteers. However volunteer retention is a frequent problem. Little information has been gathered regarding the experience of MH NPO volunteers. Therefore, improvements are unable to be made and acquiring and retaining volunteers remains a weak point. Without an adequate number of volunteers, NPO’s will be insufficient and unable to assist SA’s MH sector. This research attempts to aid in this issue by qualitatively exploring the lived experience of volunteering for a MH NPO, providing more insight into volunteer’s experiences. Such was explored using online semi-structured interviews with 5 volunteers from a particular Durban-based MH NPO. Descriptive phenomenological analysis, was used to analyse the data. Various themes were found pertaining to the volunteer experience including the benefits of supportive leadership, issues related to student centrism, and the learning experience that volunteering provides. The research findings will enlighten NPOs to some volunteer’s experience, providing information that can be used to make adjustments and improvement to NPOs, and potentially benefit the retention of volunteers.
A cross-sectional qualitative interview to describe the feelings of young men and character identification when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) Campaign
(The IIE, 2020) Bothma, Cindy
The study aimed to describe the feelings of young men when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019 as well as describe how the participants identified with their in-game character. The theoretical framework was Gerrig (1993) Transportation Theory which aided the study by providing central components that was used to gather an understanding as to why the participants experienced certain feelings and how they identified with their in-game character. The data collection method included the use of a structured interview in order to ensure that all participants were asked the same questions within the same format. The data was analyzed thematically in order to develop the necessary themes based on the similarities found within the participants responses. The findings were presented in two themes, “Feelings” and “Character Identification”. The findings included both negative and positive feelings associated with the game and that majority of the participants did not experience character identification. The study will contribute towards the Communication field, specifically in studies relating to the gaming community as well as the society field based on a qualitative description.
A cross-sectional, qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of South African mothers in 2020 using Higgins’ self-discrepancy theory
(The IIE, 2020) Holmes, Amber
Maternal guilt and shame are seemingly universal and inescapable features of motherhood. It’s universality, however, does not minimize the negative impacts which these emotions may have on an individual’s mental and physical health. Furthermore, the impact which the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdown have had on the lived experiences of South African mothers and their emotional states is a topic which has yet to be explored or published at the time of writing this study. This research, therefore, attempted to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of South African mothers during the Coronavirus pandemic. To do this, the researcher engaged in individual, online semi-structured interviews with 6 South African mothers. An interpretive, phenomenological analysis was then conducted and three predominant themes emerged from the data. A common thread throughout each of the participants' experiences was the influence (both direct and indirect) of social norms and predominant mothering discourses such as intensive mothering. The participants discussed a desire for the support systems they had lost access to during the nationwide lockdown as well as a ‘time out’. Feelings of shame and guilt in terms of self-doubt and self-blame were also found to be a general feature of the participants’ mothering experiences. Ultimately, this study’s findings will contribute to the body of literature concerning the lived experiences of middle-class, suburban South African mothers from a new contextual perspective.
A cross-sectional, quantitative study on the prevalence of psychological myths in students in KZN, South Africa
(The IIE, 2020) Hill, Claire
The literature on psychological myths has shown that there is a prevalence of myths in the general population and that a psychology course could have an impact on these myths. Most of the literature available on this topic is gleaned from an international context. A replication of the Gardner and Brown (2013) study was undertaken in a South African context. Using similar questions from the instrument of Gardner and Brown (2013), KZN psychology students were asked to answer the questionnaire off the Facebook platform. There were 20 participants. Descriptive content analysis was undertaken; and the findings revealed that at minimum an introductory psychology module did not have an impact on the prevalence of myths in KZN students. The researcher contributed to the psychology field by providing a South African study on psychological myths in students. It is advised that future research examines the factors such as age, educational level and gender to be possible influences on the prevalence of myths in students.
Describing the impact of using task-shifting approaches in mental-healthcare: A quantitative study of mental health care professionals using questionnaires
(The IIE, 2020) Shongwe, Noxolo Precious
Task shifting is the name given to a process of delegation whereby tasks are moved, where appropriate, to less specialized health workers (WHO, 2008). The mental health care sector in South Africa has a treatment gap between people who need mental healthcare and those who receive it. Various strategies are being implemented to close the treatment gap however they are not long-lasting solutions. Task-shifting is an approach that has successfully worked in combating HIV/AIDS across low- and middle-income countries. This study was done to find out what perceptions mental health care workers have about the task-shifting approach. Key themes that were explored during the study include: low- and high-level mental health care workers, history of task-shifting, mental health care funding and the service pyramid model and COM-B model. Quantitative research was done by using a cross sectional design, an online survey was sent out to twenty participants working in the Mpumalanga province. Data was gathered through the Google docs platform and analysed by using descriptive statistics. The findings showed that mental health care professionals have a positive perception about the approach and are not opposed to it being fully implemented in the mental health care sector and not just in community psychology.
A descriptive qualitative study on the impact of social media on self-esteem: A gender comparison amongst South African young adults
(The IIE, 2020) Kruger, Megan
The present study explored whether social media has an impact on self-esteem with young adults; and thereafter if there are reported gender differences. Social media may be a threat to the development of self-esteem, especially in young adults who are experiencing the overwhelming transitional phase in life. A lack of research in the South African context, coupled with inadequate coverage of the impact of social media on males’ self-esteem served as the impetus for the current research. The sample consisted of two males and two females, South African young adults, aged 20-25, who had access to social media, specifically Facebook and Instagram, and lived in KwaZulu-Natal. Given the exploratory and qualitative nature of the present study, semi-structured interviews were used for data collection; and data was analysed thematically. The most significant findings were the fact that young South African males and females have a low self-esteem, as well as a negative body image in their early twenties. Individuals in their mid-twenties had an awareness of social media as a negative tool, and seem to have a higher self-esteem. This study has contributed towards addressing and identifying the effects of social media on self-esteem, and the possible gender differences in South African young adults.
A descriptive study of the relationship between listening to music and exercise for South African individuals
(The IIE, 2020) Brown, Emma Luisa
Contemporary literature around the relationship between listening to music and exercise is quantitative and focused on the physiological effects of using music during exercise. There is a lack of literature around the psychological effects and motivation of music-listening in the context of exercise. The purpose of this research study was to gain a qualitative understanding of and expand on the knowledge about the psychological relationship between listening to music and exercise regarding the conditions of intrinsic motivation according to self-determination theory. This study made use of semi-structured interviews as a means of in-depth data collection about the subjective experiences of participants. The sample consisted of one female and two male South African individuals who listen to music when exercising, engage in regular exercise, speak English, and live in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Data was analysed thematically. Significant findings of this study were the perceived psychological effects of listening to music being improved endurance, energy, exercise ability, motivation, mood and mental state, focus, adrenaline, control, confidence, and enjoyability. Moreover, these effects, as well as the perceived ability to endure exercise, distraction effects of music, and the intrinsic motivation provided by music, were found as the psychological benefits of music-listening during exercise.
Durban Millennials' Reception Analysis of GreenPeaceAfrica's 2020 Blog Post about Single Use Plastic during Covid-19: A Descriptive Qualitative Online \Questionnaire
(The IIE, 2020) Nair, Tenielle
Plastic pollution has been an important global issue, several countries have made an effort to reduce environmental impact. However, COVID-19 has led to a pause in the fight against plastic pollution. There has been an increased number of plastic usage and pollution during COVID-19. Therefore, this study investigated South African Millennials’ interpretations of the GreenPeaceAfrica 2020 blog post and the contrast or similarity of these interpretations to their own perceived plastic consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to the Media Studies field utilizing a Media Studies theory. Namely Audience Reception theory, to determine the dominant, negotiated and oppositional positions taken in the interpretations of the blog post. The data collection method consisted of a qualitative online questionnaire, which allowed the researcher to gain in-depth information from the six participants in the study. Deductive thematic analysis had been used to analyse the data, finding that South African Millennials’ interpreted the GreenPeaceAfrica 2020 blog post in a Dominant way. However, their interpretation of the blog post is mainly in contrast with their own perceived plastic consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ecopsychology: The Relationship Between Green Space and General Well-being
(The IIE, 2020) Cornick, Tristan
The use of green space has gained favourable attention within psychology academia for influencing general well-being in a positive manner. However, due to the rapid implementation of urbanisation across various sectors, the relationship between humans and nature is under threat. Thus, the expansion of urbanisation impedes the potentially beneficial elements of green space for general well-being. A correlative analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between green space and general well-being. Data was collected using two 5-point Likert scales, the 14-item Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) and the 14-item Scales of General Well-being (SGWB), which was statistically analysed. Based on 20 samples, a weak, positive correlation (r = 0.3) was found. This indicated that green space tends to influence general well-being in a positive direction. However, based on the high SGWB scores, it is plausible that the participants’ general well-being may be correlated with other variables. The contribution of this research added the existing body of knowledge in the developing field of ecopsychology, thus promoting discussions in mainstream psychology.
Explaining the effects of the popularisation of psychological diagnoses on the perceived clinical significance of mental illness: a quantitative study using questionnaires
(The IIE, 2020) Fuller, Jared
Mental health stigma is an everchanging theme because the sources of information that people can learn about mental illness from is ever-expanding. This is especially true for tertiary students who have learned popularised and overly-simplified versions of mental disorders from social media. The majority of the student’s use of popularised sources as the basis of their semantic memory (Social media at 68.8%, Figure 2) and colloquial use of psychodiagnostic terms through metaphors (where 84.4% admitted to using OCD in a colloquial manner, Figure 1) has resulted in a mediocre ability to recall and identify the correct symptomology for three relatively well known mental illnesses (OCD, MDD and BAD). This means that the popularised sources of knowledge have created a deficit between the academic understanding of mental illness and the publics’ understanding of the mental illness (Calsamiglia, 2003)
An Exploration of the Communication Styles of Women in Managerial Positions Based on the Feminine Communication Style in the Workplace
(The IIE, 2020) Claassen, Kayla
The purpose of this study was to understand how women in managerial positions approach communication styles based on the perceived undermining of the feminine communication style in the workplace (Mohindra & Azhar,2012). Women are evaluated more negatively in leadership roles in comparison to men, even if they display masculine leadership characteristics (Jackson, Alberti & Snipers, 2013). Based on these preconceived views women often take on a masculine approach to leadership, but studies have shown that it lowers competence and perceived effectiveness meaning that the use of the masculine communication approach sounds ideal, but when practice by women it is often less successful (Jackson et al., 2013). The researcher that conducted the study drew five females from a sample who fitted the profile of the sample that was needed. A once off in-depth WhatsApp video call interview was conducted to collect the data the researcher required by asking open-ended questions to ensure that all the necessary information was obtained and that there was a good understanding of the participants. The research findings stated that females have more negative experiences than positive with using both the masculine and feminine communication approach to leadership positions due to the stereotyped characteristics that accompany their gender. For this reason, and despite the undermining of the feminine communication approach, females still felt like the qualities of the feminine communication approach helped them get more out of people and continued to use it. The research showed that the core issue is a lack of studies conducted on the success of the feminine communication style, misunderstanding and misinterpreting of genders linguistic styles and the meaning behind it, as opposed to females not having the desired communication approach or being fit for leadership positions.
An exploration of the impact of injury on motivation in Mixed Martial Artists: A qualitative study
(The IIE, 2020) Driemeyer, Jayde
There is much research on motivation in Martial Artists (MMA) and injury in MMA respectively, there is a gap in literature addressing the possible relationship between the two. Leaving the phenomenon impact of injury, a regular occurrence in the sport, on the motivation of the athletes, and their experience unclear; this needs to be addressed and explored to establish a better understanding of the phenomenon for athletes, coaches and researchers. The study aims to investigate the ways injury impacts an MMA athlete’s motivation, specifically to determine whether a link between injury and motivation in MMA athletes exists by explaining which motivational factors influence the athlete’s decision to return to the sport and what role support holds. A semi-structured interview was done over Zoom on a sample of 3 MMA athletes with 5 or more years of experience who have experienced an injury. The results suggested there is a link between injury and motivation it was initially assumed this relationship would illicit a negative affect with athletes becoming less inclined to participate, however, this was not the case. While a link is established more research is needed to develop a more concrete understanding of its nature.
An exploration of the psychological factors which underpin women’s fear of crime in South Africa
(The IIE, 2020) Lailvaux, Amy
The fear of crime is widely recognised as a complex social phenomenon. Previous research has found that the fear of crime exists independently to the actual probability of becoming a victim to crime (Moller, 2005). This is due to the fact that the anxiety and perceived risk associated with fear of crime seems to remain the same or in some cases, even increase, during times when crime statistics have declined (Moller, 2005). This research study explains the reasons why this is so, by focusing on the psychological factors which underpin women’s fear of crime, namely: vulnerability and one’s perception of the social and physical environment. Data which was collected from an online, qualitative questionnaire has been interpreted in order to provide an in-depth understanding of women’s subjective fear of crime within a South African context, and this also provides an understanding of how this fear of crime leads to consequent fear-related behaviours. The findings from this research may be of value to the many women of South Africa who experience fear of crime on a daily basis, partly due to the impacts of gender-based violence, and partly as a result of other factors which have been explored and discussed.
An Explorative Study to Describe the Hybrid Effect of Centralised and Decentralised Communication on The Overall Productivity of Organisations
(The IIE, 2017) Houston, Tara
Many organisations believe in the need to choose between having a centralised or decentralised communication System in order to communicate effectively with ones stakeholders and publics (Ven, 1986). Mr Price has managed to overcome this issue by incorporating both communication structures, resulting in a Hybrid Communication System. The research report focuses on the Hybrid Communication System of Mr Price, by taking into account three main themes. The themes consist of the effect on the motivation of the employees within Mr Price, the effect on time management within Mr Price and the contribution to crisis management within Mr Price.
An Exploratory Study of Post-Graduate Students’ Perspectives of the Importance of Personal Branding in the Workplace
(The IIE, 2017) Robert, Simone
How one presents oneself online and offline can have repercussions. If young individuals were more aware of this, they would possibly be able to create and control their personal brand and, therefore, increase their chances of acquiring a job. The purpose of this study is to explore post-graduate students’ perceptions of personal branding and the role it plays in today’s workplaces. This research used a qualitative exploratory research approach to gain a deeper understanding of the students’ perceptions of social media and personal branding and how they possibly influence each other. A case study methodology was used as the foundation for collecting the data from a focus group which comprised of 6 participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which identified 5 themes: Contextual Factors, Degree of Familiarity, Impressions: Online and Offline Personas, Micromanagement, and Authenticity. It was determined from the research that post-graduate students present themselves consistently online as they do offline because they have learned the importance of creating a unique personal brand. This research was limited in scope and could benefit from enlarging the scale to incorporate post-graduate students studying different degrees to increase the diversity of the responses
An Exploratory Study on the factors that cause stress and their impact on academic success: A cross-sectional qualitative study on postgraduate students using semi-structured interviews
(The IIE, 2020) Mahlagaume, Sanikie
The following study seeks to explore the factors that cause postgraduate students stress and hoe these affect their academic success. In so doing, the study seeks to discover the discrepancies that may exist between the way postgraduate students handle stress when compared to undergraduate students. This is due to the fact that literature found focused on the undergraduate student whereas those on postgraduate studies focused on the practical aspect (nursing) (Jithoo, 2017; Shete & Garkal, 2015). The study is qualitative in nature implying the use of qualitative methods. Thus, five postgraduate students were selected to partake in the study using non-probability, purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to give participants time to give a detailed overview of what stress means to them and its impact on their lives. Data acquired from the interviews was analysed using Zhang and Wildemuth’s eight step process of qualitative content analysis over a cross-sectional period of time (Maree, 2019). It was found that regardless of past experiences, new experiences made it just as difficult to handle stress. The results suggested that anxiety was a leading cause of stress which resulted in procrastination in terms of focusing on academics, experiencing helplessness (emotionally) and it affected decision-making.
An exploratory study on the perceptions men have of traditional masculine gender roles and they influence males
(The IIE, 2020) Monare, Orabile
This section of this paper aims to provide background regarding the study by referring to the main argument in addition to highlighting the specific problem which was examined. It will also highlight the way in which this data was collected in order to elucidate the research findings, as well as to identify the contributions of this research study. This qualitative research study is essentially based on gender roles, specifically the effects of masculine gender roles on males. The aim of this project was therefore to explore the perceptions men have of masculine gender roles and how it could influence men to not express their emotions and feelings. The literature clearly illustrates that adhering to masculine gender roles can cause men to succumb to negative factors such as restrictive emotionally, which is what this research study was based on. It was therefore decided that the best way to obtain this data is by adhering to an interpretivist paradigm by using semi-structured interviews on a sample of five men between the ages of 18 and 25. The results of the data was significant as most of it contradicts the literature. This can therefore contribute towards the known knowledge of the research subject, as the findings highlight the fact that men are aware of the detrimental effects masculine gender roles have on themselves and also on the greater society.

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