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    A study of the career commitment, stress levels, and coping resources of musicians, and the influence of personality : a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Langley, Sarah T
    The present study is an attempt to explore the career commitment, stress, and coping resource issues of musicians, and possible relationships between them. The personality profiles of the musicians are also examined to determine possible interactions with experiences of stress and coping, and career commitment. These areas have not been previously explored within New Zealand, and international research pertaining to the career commitment, stress, coping and personality of musicians is limited. The present study utilised quantitative data, collected through a survey. A questionnaire was distributed to all members of the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and all employees of the Music Education Centre. There were 52 respondents. The questionnaire consisted of three scales, including a commitment scale, the Occupational Stress inventory (OSI), and the NEO PI-R. The participants were grouped according to whether they were a fulltime performer or music teacher, both a teacher and performer, or in one of those groups, but earning their primary income from other work. Results indicated that this sample of musicians were committed to their musical careers. Overall, the musicians did not experience high levels of occupational stress or personal strain, and had good coping resources. It was found that female musicians had significantly greater rational/cognitive coping skills and experienced less vocational strain than did the male musicians. Musicians with a teachers or performers diploma were found to experience significantly less psychological strain than musicians with grade 8. In terms of personality profiles, male musicians were significantly less agreeable and less conscientious than female musicians were, and divorced musicians were found to be significantly more agreeable than single musicians. Individuals with a grade 8 qualification were more neurotic than individuals who have a performers or teachers diploma. The results suggest that this sample of musicians differ from those previously researched in terms of stress, coping, and personality. The key implication of the present study is that analysing musicians in terms of how they structure music into their lives produced the differing results, which given the arguments in the literature, may be more reflective of reality.
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    Teacher burnout : a study of occupational stress and burnout in New Zealand school teachers : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2001) Whitehead, Anna Jocelyn
    This thesis addresses the internationally recognised problem of stress and burnout in teachers, especially as this affects primary school teachers. The study included three phases. The first phase sought to examine the effects of stress since the new education administration changes, and to look at teachers' perceptions of stress, the work situations causing stress and the coping strategies that they found most helpful. The second phase of the study sought to identify levels of burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (comparing them with American counterparts). Finally, the third phase of the study looked at differences in the work environment of both high and low burnout schools. A multidimensional research approach was selected as a framework for analysis. The limitations of prior research on teacher burnout suggests that the use of multiple methods of information gathering would prove to be a most valid approach, allowing for different perspectives in understanding the complexity of burnout within the school organisation. A range of qualitative and quantitative data analyses and information gathering procedures were used. This included a stress questionnaire, MBI surveys, staff interviews, and observations. Results from the study confirmed that teachers report high level of stress in New Zealand schools and that there are noticeable differences between low stress and high stress schools in terms of their administrative, social and physical environments. It is recommended that teacher burnout be seen not only as an individual problem, but also as an organisational problem and that effective strategies on administrative, social and physical levels must be put in place in order to maintain healthy, low burnout school environments.