South African Journal of Psychology

When psychological evaluators are asked to provide their expert opinions in legal proceedings, they are expected to do so in an objective and unbiased way. The statutory requirements regarding the admissibility of expert testimony in many countries often cite objectivity and reliability as standards. However, as is true in many realms of human decision-making, the field of forensic psychological assessment is fraught with bias. In this article, we discuss several lines of research that have investigated bias in forensic psychological evaluations. We also discuss emerging lines of research involving methods to measure and reduce bias. We conclude with a call for structured self-monitoring as an important strategy for forensic evaluators to mitigate bias in their work.

The development of the defence of non-pathological incapacity reflects a movement towards recognizing that an accused person should not be punished unless he or she is indeed blameworthy. This is furthermore consistent with the rights to dignity, and freedom and security of the person, set out in the Bill of Rights. However, policy concerns about the availability of a defence based on provocation or emotional stress have been raised. The development of the defence in this context and its apparent, but as yet uncertain, demise in the wake of the judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal in S v Eadie is examined in this article, which provides an overview of the issues animating this area of law.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are frequently requested to offer expert opinion regarding the defences of non-pathological criminal incapacity and sane automatism – which are increasingly raised in criminal courts in South Africa. This article briefly explores the development of these defences in South African criminal law and highlights some of the conceptual and epistemological difficulties at the intersection between the law and psychology. The changing legal understandings of the concepts of sane automatism and non-pathological criminal incapacity require careful consideration by mental health experts, and, while these experts can undoubtedly assist the courts, they should be cautious of using reductionist methods to conflate psychological concepts with legal concepts.

Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death globally. For years, the tobacco industry sought to create a tobacco product that is less controversial than conventional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes were created out of the supposed need to supply consumers of tobacco products with a less harmful tobacco product. The question remains, is it really less harmful for consumers of traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products to switch to electronic cigarettes? This article takes a closer look at the overall harm in relation to benefits of using electronic cigarettes for the individual and public health and the unintended negative consequences the introduction of electronic cigarette has had on overall public health. Given the evidence that the use of electronic cigarettes is a gateway to the use of other tobacco products especially among adolescents, we view electronic cigarettes as having the potential to cause a rebound of the tobacco use glut which the global public health community has been succeeding in reversing. We therefore support the World Health Organization’s suggestion that electronic cigarettes should be regulated as other tobacco products since there is, as yet, no harmless tobacco product. In the same vein, we view the new Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill seeking to regulate electronic cigarettes in South Africa as other tobacco products as a step in the right direction.

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.

This qualitative study explored the meanings that Black women who do not have fathers attach to growing up without a father. A combination of purposive and snowballing sampling was undertaken to obtain the five female participants, while data were collected through interviews. Resilience theory was used as the framework for conceptualising the study and analysing the data. Strong resilient mothers seemed to play a primary role in how the participants made meanings of growing up without a father. The participants also constructed themselves to be resilient to victimisation that they attributed to father absence. Collectively, the women portrayed themselves to be independent, content, and empowered. These findings challenge the assumption that being reared by one parent will automatically lead to detrimental outcomes.

The study explored the relationship between black mothers- and daughters-in-law in Pretoria North, South Africa. The theoretical paradigm of the family systems theory provides a perspective on the dynamics of the mother- and daughter-in-law relationship. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to obtain rich data from in-depth interviews with 20 mothers-in-law and 20 daughters-in-law who had been in a mother-daughter-in-law relationship for at least 6 months. Phenomenology was also used as a design that guided the research process to allow participants to express the meanings that they had attached to their own experiences of the relationship. From the analysis, six major themes emerged regarding the dynamics that influence the mother-daughter-in-law relationship. These themes included the quality of mother-daughter-in-law relationship, first meeting, expectations, importance of having a good relationship, roles of the makoti and mamazala, as well as reflections on the mother-daughter-in-law relationship. The results of the study indicated that both mothers- and daughters-in-law perceive that it is important to have a good relationship with each other for the smooth continuity of the family. Furthermore, the results of this study highlighted the complicated family systems that exist within the in-law relationships among modern black South African families.

This article describes the development of a model for assessing levels of risk in trauma-focused research, with evidence for the empirical validity of the model being provided by findings from a study of 438 undergraduate students who participated in a survey regarding past-year exposure to intimate partner violence. A minor increase in risk over minimal risk was found to constitute the modal risk category, with evidence for the empirical validity of the model being provided by the fact that levels of risk assessed by the model were associated with anticipated decreases in the proportion of positive cost–benefit ratios, with different levels of risk being predicted by a unique constellation of risk factors. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for further research and in relation to the way in which the impact of trauma-focused research is conceptualised.

The study documents some of the multicultural challenges experienced by South African clinical psychologists and how these are addressed within the context of clinical practice, supervision, and training. This mail survey of 241 clinical psychologists registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa during the year 2015, explored everyday clinical and supervisory practices. Multicultural training experiences were also studied. Findings indicated that multicultural challenges were experienced by 74.3% of respondents in clinical practice and by 34.3% of participants involved in supervision of clinicians and/or interns. Difficulties were related to cultural belief systems, language, specific therapeutic and supervisory obstacles, as well as socio-political and economic issues. Approaches employed to address these challenges primarily involved the use of therapeutic processes, positioning, and paradigms. An emphasis on lifelong learning processes was also present. Although evidence for multicultural competency and orientation was apparent in addressing these difficulties, findings suggest a need for more awareness and in-depth training in these areas.

A parenting education program delivered to a sample of parents of young children aged 3–12 years who often used negative behavior control strategies to discipline their children was evaluated for effectiveness using a quasi-experimental design. Parents (n = 150) who received parenting education program intervention program for 8 weeks (weekly 2 hr session) were compared with parents (n = 150) who did not go through the program. The program’s effectiveness was evaluated with regard to changes in parental disciplinary behavior through observation of parent–child interactions during home visits. Data were collected across three time periods using home observation checklist. Significant improvements in parenting skills were observed as many parents were seen using verbal praise and other positive strategies in dealing with their children; a feat that was lacking before to intervention. The analysis of covariance revealed a significant treatment effect on parenting behavior F(2, 248) = 23.39, p < .05, with the intervention parents demonstrating greater ability to use positive behavior control strategies than did the comparison parents. The magnitude of the effect size was medium (partial η² = .072). This effect persisted over a 12-week follow-up period. These findings indicated that the parenting education program could be effective in helping parents improve their parenting skills and support the parents in creating a safe and supportive home environment that prevent children’s exposure to physical abuse.

This study conducted an empirical evaluation of a pre-existing women empowerment community programme purporting to address negative consequences of traumatic experiences and gender-based violence while facilitating posttraumatic growth. It was conducted in Tembisa, a South African township, with 103 women aged 18–56 (M = 27.77, SD = 8.29). The women were assessed before the start of the programme. A 3-month follow-up assessed 70 women: 39 in the intervention group, 31 in the control group. Factors assessed included demographic information, traumatic experiences, depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire–9), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD Symptoms Scale–Interview for DSM-5). Results on the mental health measures indicated the general need for a programme supporting the women in coping with their challenges due to poverty, unemployment, and inequality in the community. Results suggested that the programme had little or even negative influence on the women’s functionality and mental health symptoms. The strong focus on traumatic experiences of the women empowerment programme seems to be inadequate for the specific needs of this target group. This article argues against the implementation of interventions without tailoring them to the specific needs of the target populations. A collaboration between researchers and practitioners is recommended to adequately pursue the goals of such programmes.