3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/45
Browse
6 results
Search Results
Item Student perceptions of the predictors of customer purchase intentions of counterfeit products(2015) Chuchu, TinasheThe research investigated the use of the two potential predictors of customer purchase intention of counterfeit products (perceived behavioural control and price-quality inference of counterfeit products) as a means of establishing whether these were related to customer attitudes towards economic benefits of purchasing counterfeit products, which ultimately lead to purchase intention of counterfeit products. The study reviewed prior literature on counterfeits purchasing. Probability sampling was used to select respondents, and a research model was developed to measure the constructs used for the study. Field study was conducted in Johannesburg at the University of the Witwatersrand, and research data was collected from 380 registered students of the University of the Witwatersrand, 18 years and older. Using the SPSS 22 and AMOS 22 software program, structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to analyse the data set. The results revealed that price-quality inference of counterfeit products had a stronger relationship with customer attitudes towards economic benefits of purchasing counterfeit products, than to perceived behavioural control implying that the customers were more likely to purchase counterfeits because of the perceived price bargain and not because of the perceived ease of purchasing counterfeits. The contribution of this study was to enhance the comprehension of existing literature on the relationship between the predictor variables (perceived behavioural control and price-quality inference of counterfeit products) and the outcome variable (purchase intention of counterfeit products).Item Discursive constructs of abortion amongst a group of male and female students at the University of the Witwatersrand.(2014-02-27) Ronco, ChandelleAbortion is a very controversial topic and over the years, many different attitudes have been formed around it. Previous studies have looked at people’s attitudes towards abortion in relation to gender, age, race, socio-economic background, religion, education and even marital status. The current study aimed to investigate the change of attitudes that students would have towards abortion given a range of circumstances (from serious to less serious). The role of gender in these attitudes was also looked at. This study conducted two separate semi-structured focus groups for each gender (6 males and 5 females). In the two focus groups, each vignette with a particular circumstance was read out to the students followed by questions. These follow up questions were discussed amongst the students present in the focus group. The responses from the students were recorded using a Dictaphone. From the Dictaphone, the information received from these interviews was transcribed. Thereafter, content analysis was used to analyse the findings which aimed to identify different themes. Following this, discursive constructs around abortion as well as conclusions were formed and discussed.Item Attitudes,knowledge and relationship behaviour relating to HIV and AIDS in contact sport.(2007-02-26T12:45:13Z) Germanos, VeniseThe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has spread throughout the world and its prevalence in sport has received increasing attention. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes and relationship behaviour with respect to HIV and AIDS among athletes participating in contact sport. In addition, this study included a preliminary investigation into whether sport participation facilitates the development of life skills which would act as a buffer against the risky behaviours that increases vulnerability to infection. A self-report questionnaire was specifically constructed to address the aims of the study. The sample comprised of 38 male athletes between the ages of 18 and 30, from the following codes of contact sport: boxing, rugby, and taekwondo in Gauteng. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the participants’ responses. The findings indicated that the athletes had a good level of knowledge, but some misconceptions still remain. Attitudes of the athletes appeared to be in favour of mandatory testing and disclosure of one’s status. Positions on the participation of HIV-positive athletes in sport alternated between exclusion on the basis of safety and inclusion so as not to facilitate the proliferation of stigma. Few athletes reported continued involvement in high-risk behaviour, but it was encouraging that the largest part of participants declared exhibiting preventative behaviour. Sport participation was found to have some biopsychosocial impact on participants, which may extend to enhance health-seeking behaviour. Research findings may be fundamental in directing future AIDS prevention efforts within and beyond the sports arena.Item An exploration into educators' perceptions and attitudes towards immigrant learners(2007-02-13T13:25:49Z) Sikhakhane, Lynette MatshepoThe main purpose of the study described in this report was to explore educators’ perceptions and their attitudes towards immigrant learners in their school and how those impact on them, at work and in their social lives. This study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Questionnaires were used as research instruments in this study and semi-structured interviews were also carried out with individual educators. The sample of the study constituted thirteen educators from a school in Gauteng. The school was chosen because of its situation and because it is a co-educational school in an area with many immigrants. Educators’ comments suggest that they are not adequately trained or prepared to deal with immigrants in their classroom. They perceived that they were not sufficiently equipped or informed with the policy of inclusion to accommodate immigrant learners. Further areas of concern expressed by educators include an inability to overcome the language barrier when dealing with the learners from outside South Africa, and a generalised lack of support by employers and superiors. From the results of this study, one can deduce that in general educators perceive immigrant learners as an additional burden to deal with in a classroom situation, which impacts negatively on their work performance.Item Oral health practitioners and HIV/AIDS: Knowledge,attitudes and practices(2006-11-13T12:39:50Z) Mathabathe, NkhensaniSouth Africa is ranked as the country with largest number of people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the world. Oral health care workers have a role to play in the national response to the HIV epidemic through the provision of quality oral health services. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of oral hygienists and dental therapists on HIV/AIDS. A total of 1160 questionnaires were mailed to 831 oral hygienists and 329 dental therapists registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa in 2000. The questionnaire covered: demographic factors; general and oral health-specific HIV/AIDS knowledge; attitudes towards HIV/AIDS patients; infection control practices and ethical/legal issues. The response rate was 27.4% (n=318), 255 oral hygienists and 63 dental therapists. Overall, respondents in this study illustrated sound knowledge on oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS and modes of transmission of the virus although 10% reported that the virus could be transmitted through mosquito bites and 25% agreed that HIV could be transmitted via saliva. Respondents reported compliance with basic infection control practices although 35% did not agree that infection control measures that protect against the hepatitis B virus could provide adequate protection against HIV. In addition 73.8% of the respondents reported that additional infection control measures must be taken in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the dental surgery. The results of this study indicate a need for continuous HIV professional education of oral hygienists and dental therapists in order to improve the quality of care provided to HIV infected patients.Item Death anxiety and the attitudes of nurses towards dying patients in a private acute care hospital(2006-11-10T12:17:38Z) Govender, MogavaniIn order for caregivers to be better able to work with dying patients, they need to confront their fears about their own mortality and explore their feelings about their personal and professional losses. The importance of death anxiety research rests on the premise that death is an eventuality that everyone faces and how health professionals, specifically, deal with death anxiety is of considerable relevance as to the quality of care given to the terminally ill patient. The purpose of this study was to identify, explore and describe nurses’ personal fear of death (death anxiety) and explore whether an association exists between death anxiety and their attitudes towards dying patients in a private acute care hospital in Johannesburg. A quantitative, descriptive correlational survey was conducted to examine the relationship between death anxiety and nurses’ attitudes toward terminally ill patients in a private acute care hospital in the province of Gauteng in South Africa. Various extraneous variables have been identified and defined. No attempt was made to control or manipulate the situation as it was currently occurring. The study population comprised of all nurses working in this hospital who fulfilled the stipulated selection criteria. Data were obtained from nurses through the use of a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 42% of the expected population. A total of 93 responses were received. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data and the significance of the relationships between variables was determined using the Fishers exact test (p-value of 0.05). The findings of this study were consistent to that of similar studies. Findings suggest high levels of death anxiety within the study population with correlating negative death attitudes. This may be associated with the fact that a significant proportion of the study sample was younger and less experienced as opposed to those who demonstrated lower levels of death anxiety and positive death attitudes and were more experienced and older. v A strong association was found between death anxiety and death attitudes. Statistically significant relationships between age and length of nursing experience/exposure were found. No significant relationships between sex, institutional support, death anxiety and death attitudes were found. Of import, the need for ongoing terminal care education was identified in this study.