Journal of Psychology and Sociological Studies

Assessing Stressful Life Events in a Nigerian Context

Solomon A Echee, John E Eze — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Stressful life events have been identified to play significant roles in precipitating psychological disorders. They have consequently become an interesting area of research for clinical psychologists. Thus, appropriate and accurate measurement of stressful life events in particular contexts is very important. This study adapted the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale for studying stressful life events among Nigerians. Fifty one (51) participants aged 25-68 years (23 women and 28 men) completed a modified version of the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale and Edna Fox Life Events Questionnaire, which was used to establish the concurrent validity of the former. Results showed that the modified version of the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale has a concurrent validity estimate of r = .77, df = 49, p < .001 with the Edna Fox Life Events Questionnaire. The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale also had a test-retest reliability estimate of r = .79, df = 49, p < .001. It was concluded that the Scale is a simple and high performance screening instrument that can be used for studying stressful life events among the Ezza of South-east Nigeria.

The place of anthropology for African Societies in the present global system

Chidi Ugwu, Ph.D — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Across postcolonial Africa, ethnic-, region- or faith-based hostilities are common, consuming lives and resources. Added to these are the false starts that many African nation-states keep making with the received political and economic systems. Many Africans prefer to keep blaming Europeans for bringing disparate groupings under common plural set-ups, although the blames have not made the issues to go away. Illustrating with the Nigerian case, this piece shows that ethnology has been the tool for getting around issues of social plurality occasioned by the current internationalism. However, some purveyors of the poststructuralist and postmodernist formulations would hold that no veridical symbolic systems exist; and that the ethnographers’ reports on social systems are only but representations of the reporters’ own views. This argument that dissuades people from taking the ethnographer’s report seriously renders such an inevitable option as ethnology useless. But why any society taking the advice of the post- post- formulations seriously cannot be excused is that Africa’s history and even current experiences in Nigeria show that ethnology is the only known tool for forging successful social systems among diverse groups whom historical happenstance has pulled into closer contacts.

A disengaged Terrorist may not be De-radicalisedA disengaged Terrorist may not be De-radicalised

Chiedozie Okechukwu Okafor, Hassan Salawu Abu — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores the relationships between terrorist disengagement and de-radicalisation by examining the dynamics of terrorism and terrorist radicalisation. Against the background that not all terrorists are radicalised and not all disengaged terrorists are de-radicalised, this paper brings to fore the urgent need to re-examine the nature of terrorist disengagement and de-radicalisation in Nigeria, particularly, and Africa in general. It is the position of this paper that rather than treating terrorists as “outcasts” worthy of punishment, they should be treated as helpless individuals in need of rehabilitation. More so, the government at all levels, should incorporate genuine programmes of de-radicalisation that ensures a change of perceived self-identity and skilful reintegration for the disengaged terrorists. In addition to ensuring that the citizens have sense of belonging and meaningful participation in the government of the day, it is hoped that terrorism will be reduced to the barest minimum if not eradicated completely.

Amnesty Programme and Security Situation in the Niger Delta Region

M O E Nwuba, Ph.D, Paul M Nwokwu — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This study was carried out to assess the implementation of the Amnesty programme with regards to restoration of peace in the Niger Delta region. This study becomes necessary given the importance of the region to economic prosperity and well being of Nigeria. Given the nature of the main objective of the study, content analytical method was employed to review published records (official publications, articles from reputable journals). After critical examination of available records, it was found that the Amnesty programme is just a scratch on the surface of the underlying factors that triggered the conflict; it was also found that the programme was lopsided in approach as victims of environmental degradation who were not members of militant groups were totally excluded from enjoying benefits accruing from the programme; that there was obvious corruption in the management of the programme as its handlers expended about 80% of the programme’s budget in consultancy services among others. On the basis of the findings, we recommended as follows: that the root causes of the Niger Delta agitations such as poverty, underdevelopment, environmental degradation, unemployment among the youths, etc should be frontally tackled by government; that government should demonstrate political will by ensuring immediate end to gas flaring in the region; that government should ensure the sustenance of Amnesty programme by expanding its scope and ensuring regularity in the payment of stipends to repented militants, etc.

Influence of Traumatic Experience and Demographic Variable on Quality of Life among Operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps in Ibadan

Ronald C N Oginyi, Chris O Abojei, Sunday Ofoke — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The increase in security threats in Nigeria led to the creation of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps to ensure community based approach in tackling problems of insecurity. For this aim to be achieved, it is paramount to understand factors that could influence the quality of life of members of the corps. The study therefore investigated the influence of traumatic experience on quality of life among operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Two hundred and five (205) participants with a mean age of 33.75 from the ring-road Ibadan division participated in the study. A zero order correlation and regression statistics were used to test the stated hypothesis. The result of the analysis showed a significantly negative relationship between traumatic experience and quality of life of operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan (r=-.27, p<.0.01), and a significantly positive relationship between age and educational qualification (r=-.42, p<0.01). This implies that the higher the traumatic experience, the lower the quality of life among operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan and the educational qualification increased with age among operatives of the NSCDC, Ibadan. It also revealed that traumatic experience accounted for 6% of the variance of quality of life; (R= .27, R2 = .06, F (1, 202) = 16.42, p< .001; (ß = .27, t (202) = -4.05, p<.001). The result implies that quality of life among operatives of the Nigerian Security Civil Defense Corps is influenced negatively by traumatic experience. Hence, it is recommended that members of the corps should be educated on issues relating to their quality of life and coping with traumatic experiences.

Determinants of Healthcare Utilization among Older Adults in Igbeagu Community, Ebonyi State Nigeria

Ekene P Mbam, Nkechi B Emma-Echiegu, Ph.D — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Effective healthcare service and healthcare utilization are a sine qua non for healthy living and successful aging among the older adults. This study utilized a cross sectional survey design to explore the socio-cultural factors that influence healthcare utilization among older adults in Igbeagu community of Ebonyi state Nigeria. Data for the study were both quantitative and qualitative, obtained by means of questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). A total of 397 respondents aged 60 years and above took part in the questionnaire study. Respondents were drawn using multi-stage sampling (simple random sampling (SRS) and cluster sampling). Two gender-balanced FGDs were conducted for different, but, homogeneous groups in a culturally appropriate setting, chosen by the participants themselves, and on a non-market and festival-free day. The FGD participants were drawn from older adults within the inclusion criteria, using Snowball sampling technique. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0, while tables and bar charts were used for data presentation. Hypotheses were tested using X2 statistic at 0.05 alpha level. Results indicate that 53.9% of the respondents have more preference for traditional medicine, 31.2% use both traditional and orthodox medicine, while only 14.9% have preference for orthodox medicine. Comments from the FGDs indicate that their preference hinged on factors like assumed cause of disease, assumed efficacy of treatment option, cost, distance, as well as attitude of care-givers and healthcare providers. It was recommended that healthcare services be subsidised for the elderly ones especially in the rural areas. Again, there is a need to provide and/or equip healthcare centres in the rural communities to mitigate the impact of moving a long distance to access healthcare facilities. Finally, it is imperative that care-givers and the general public be enlightened on the need to accord older adults their respect by discussing with them a treatment option before embarking on such treatment so that these older adults will be part of decision that concerns their own health.

Examining the Relationships between Perceived Social Presence, Narcissism, Gender and Frequency of Text Messaging

Priscilla O Odoh, Fabian O Ugwu — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the relationship between perceived social presence, narcissism, gender and frequency of text messaging among university undergraduates. A total of 247 volunteers from two universities in southeast Nigeria participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 18-28 years with a mean age of (Mage = 24.79 years, SD = 3.10). Three different instruments were used to elicit information from respondents through survey, while hierarchical regression was used for data analyses. Consistent with stated hypotheses, findings revealed that perceptions of message understanding, affective understanding, emotional interdependence, and behavioral interdependence were significantly related to frequency of test messaging. But contrary to speculations, copresence, attention allocation, and narcissism were not significantly related to frequency of text messaging. More so, contrary to speculation gender was negatively related to frequency of text messaging. We discussed the implications and limitations of the study. Also, suggestions for further studies were highlighted.

Examining the Relationships between Religiosity, Spirituality, and Morality in a Nigerian Sample

Fabian O Ugwu, Festus O Asogwa — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Environmental pressure has led to wanton changes that have undermined traditional ethics and created an atmosphere of moral drift. The present study examined the relationships between religiosity, spirituality and morality in a Nigerian sample. One hundred and eighty five participants that took part in the study were sampled from across three religious organisations in Benue state, North-central, Nigeria. As expected, the results of the multiple regression analyses computed revealed that religiosity was not significantly related to morality, whilst spirituality was positively related with morality. The findings of the study portray most religious people in Nigeria as hypocritical because they seem not to match the faith they profess with appropriate actions expected of them. But those who reported high scores on daily spiritual experience are guided by their faith to do right. The findings of the study suggest that individuals may not be religious but sanctimonious, and fail to match words with actions, hence the pervasiveness of immoral behaviours that characterise the Nigerian society.

Posttraumatic Growth among Internally Displaced Persons

K S Egbuagu, L E Ugwu, Enwereuzor K Ibeawuchi — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This research examined perceived insecurity, distress disclosure, and social support as determinants of posttraumatic growth among internally displaced persons in Plateau State. Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 427 (male = 181, female = 246) participants were selected from Barkin-Ladi and Riyom local government areas in Plateau State. The average age of respondents was 31.53 years (SD = 7.01, ranging from 18-57 years). Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results of the study revealed a significant negative relationship between perceived insecurity and posttraumatic growth (β = -.22, p< .01), a significant positive relationship between distress disclosure and posttraumatic growth (β = .27, p< .01), and a significant positive relationship between social support and posttraumatic growth (β = .28, p<.01). The findings were interpreted in line with extant literature, and the implications for clinical practice and research were highlighted.