Editorial: Psychology — Tracing the SAJP's Progress in Helping Shape the Future of Psychology in South Africa

Abstract

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of the first term of the year already. As mentioned on previous occasions, the SAJP's success can be attributed to many factors including the exceptional support from the editorial board, which, among other things, has helped us reduce the backlog of articles. Only a few articles currently in our offices have been under review for longer than five months and even fewer for longer than four months.W e have finalised Issue 40(2) (June, 2010) and are in the process of compiling Issue 40(3). The core editorial staff -PsySSA president, Kopano Ratele, consulting editor, Anthony Pillay, consulting editor: statistics, Tyrone Pretorius, copy editors, Willy Nel and Martin Strous, and publishing editor, Erna Kinsey -have combined well to maintain on-time delivery and the smooth running of the journal by dealing timeously with potential problems.After consulting global experts on ways to heighten the impact of the SAJP, we can report that we are particularly interested in reviewing articles covering meta-analyses of previous research/ theoretical points of view and articles on the standardisation of new assessment instruments. Articles that cast new light on 'old' issues (articles dealing with issues of the day in an innovative, creative manner) will also be most welcome.As always, an imposing array of scholars has contributed to Issue 40(1). Interested readers will be given insight into research endeavours in a number ofpsychological subfields, into progress made in terms ofracial integration in training institutions over the past few years, and into the consequences of and contributory factors in teen-aged pregnancy. Other topics covered are the impact of stress on human behaviour and personality, the merit ofRasch modelling methods when constructing and using interval scale measures, and whether emotional intelligence should be considered an integral part of positive psychology. The various authors also investigate the psychological impact of child sexual abuse, the correlation, if any, between limited mental health knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness and the seeking of psychological treatment, and the training of the personnel and the efficacy of psychological services rendered by registered counsellors The role of language skills and social interaction in the development of social understanding as well as a strategy to deal with the negative self-concept and unhealthy eating habits of adolescents are also examined.Readers will have noted that we always attempt to publish articles dealing with issues that cut across the different subdisciplines ofpsychology (clinical, counselling, educational and research). We are particularly interested in themes that provide a starting point for interpreting psychological reality. It was especially heartening to receive, for example, a longitudinal study on teen-aged pregnancy in which the contributory factors are tackled head on in an attempt to better understand and manage the phenomenon. The contributions, as usual, refl...