Department of Industrial Psychology

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Browsing by Author "Abrahams, Fatima"

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    The cross-cultural comparability of tile 16 personality factor inventory (16pf)
    (University of the Western Cape, 1996) Abrahams, Fatima; Mauer, K F
    This study focused on the 16PF (SA 92), a personality questionnaire that was developed in the USA and adapted for South African conditions. The main aim of the study was to determine whether the scores of the 16PF are comparable in a cross-cultural setting in South Africa. The influence of age, language, socio-economic status and gender on the scores were also determined. The sample consisted of black, white, coloured, and Indian university students and were drawn from the University of Western Cape, University of Pretoria, University of Durban- Westville, and University of Natal To achieve the aims outlined construct comparability studies and item comparability studies were conducted. In addition, descriptive statistics were also calculated to provide a general picture of the performance of the various sub-samples. A qualitative study was also conducted to determine some of the reasons for the occurrence of item incomparability of the racial sub-sample. The results showed that the racial variable had the greatest influence on the scores obtained. Problems existed with the construct and item comparability of the 16PF when the different race groups were compared. In addition, significant mean differences were also found on the majority of factors when the scores of the different race groups were compared. The results of the qualitative study showed that participants whose home language was not English or Afrikaans had difficulty in understanding many of the words and the construction of sentences contained in the 16PF. The implications of using the 16PF in South Africa, with its multicultural population was outlined, taking the new labour legislation pertaining to selection into consideration. Finally, a number of options for test users, and users of the 16PF in particular were presented.
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    Factors influencing the career choice of undergraduate students at a historically disadvantaged South African university
    (IP Publishing, 2015) Abrahams, Fatima; Jano, Rukhsana; van Lill, Burger
    During the apartheid years in South Africa, career guidance amongst disadvantaged learners was largely absent and, for many, career choices were limited and governed by politics. Despite South Africa having celebrated 20 years of democracy, this situation has improved only slightly. Therefore, the aims of the study were to determine the factors that influenced students' career choice and to ascertain the possible barriers that impacted their decision. An adapted version of Myburgh's Career Choices Questionnaire (2005) was administered to 721 undergraduate students. The results showed that parents and loans or bursaries were the largest sources of financial support and that anticipated benefits influenced the students' career choice, with the potential for personal growth and development, for future high earnings and for promotion to the top of the organization the most important among these. Furthermore, participants rated visits from lecturers and brochures as the most prominent sources of influence.
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    The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career choices among Grade 11 and Grade 12 students at selected schools in the Cape Flats
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Jefferies, Gakeema; Abrahams, Fatima
    The schooling system and education structure were tested to their limits during the COVID-19 pandemic period, when students from all around the world were forced to complete their school curriculum online. The drastic changes brought about different factors that impacted these students on a large scale. Students were pushed out of their comfort zones and had to adapt in order to survive the challenges. This also led to a set of coping mechanisms developed and implemented by students during this period. The purpose of this research was to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the career decisions made by students in Grade 11 and Grade 12. These students have gone through many changes not only within their education but also in the way they think and process things regarding their career and whether their career choices have changed or not. The COVID-19 period may have caused many students to shift their paths due to the lack of exposure at schools, and for others, it may have only enhanced their career paths. This study investigated how students' career choices were influenced and how they adapted to a new way of life. Selecting a career was and will forever be a daunting experience for many students, but more so for those that went through this world health crisis, as there were high levels of uncertainty and fear of the unknown.