Stephen Asatsa

• PhD; MA; B. Ed; Higher Dip
• Lecturer at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

This volume addresses the critical gaps in developmental research on childhood learning by advocating for a more inclusive and cross-cultural approach. Recent studies highlight a concerning over-reliance on data from post-industrialized western countries, raising questions about the broader applicability of findings. This book seeks to provide a co...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) presents a unique emotional pattern that challenges dominant frameworks in the current literature. In many regions, personal success typically elicits pride, while the success of an ingroup member evokes connection—reinforcing a distinction between individual and collective achievement. In contrast, success in SSA—whether o...

Background and aims: Despite the last decade’s significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon. Met...

Over the last 20 years, personality development has become one of the most widely studied topics in personality science. However, evidence on normative and event-related personality development stems almost exclusively from Western countries, providing limited insight into the cross-cultural generalizability of personality trait changes. To address...

Intuition often guides our thinking effectively, but it can also lead to consequential reasoning errors, underpinning poor decisions and biased judgments. Little is known about how people globally self-correct such intuitive reasoning errors and what enhances their correction. Defying prevailing models of reasoning, recent research suggests that pe...

Although grief is a universal part of the human experience, for some it may become a debilitating mental health disorder. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) has recently been included in diagnostic guidelines worldwide, but there is little research on global applicability. This is the first study to examine PGD rates, risk factors and psychometric vali...

The generalizability of psychopathology constructs across human populations is often assumed, but most evidence comes from Western contexts. The ‘majority world’ (Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East) is underrepresented in psychopathology research. Efforts to reorganize mental disorder classifications provide an opportunity to better integ...

The generalizability of psychopathology constructs across human populations is often assumed, but most evidence comes from Western contexts. The ‘majority world’ (Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East) is underrepresented in psychopathology research. Efforts to reorganize mental disorder classifications provide an opportunity to better integ...

Background and Objectives Rituals have been reported to serve as a vital mechanism for expressing grief and fostering communal support worldwide. Despite these benefits, use of rituals in Indigenous communities is threatened by missionization, globalization, and westernization. This study sought to examine the relevance of traditional mourning ritu...

Assessing socioeconomic status (SES) is important but complex and requires a contextually-based approach. Using data from Namibia, Kenya, and South Africa (N = 3,920), this study aimed to create the Socio-Economic Status in Africa Scale (SESAS) for young adults. Seventeen indicators were culturally-adapted or newly developed to capture young adults...

A “big two” model has shown stronger cross-cultural replicability and links to theory than other contemporary models of personality trait structure. However, its theoretical and measurement models require better specification. We address this to create an initial English-language version of the Cross-Cultural Big Two Inventory with an empirically i...

Involvement in their children's education through the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) significantly impacts the mental health outcomes of parents, necessitating a deeper understanding of how these educational demands influence parental well-being. This study examines the mental health outcomes of parents with children enrolled in the CBC in prima...

Most personality science is conducted with samples from wealthy Western countries, home to only 11% of the world’s population. Longitudinal studies have been particularly informative for psychology, but they are virtually absent from the rest of the world. The Africa Long Life Study (ALLS) brings African perspectives to lifespan research in persona...

This study investigates the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on delinquent behavior among high school learners in Kakamega East Sub-County, Kenya. The pandemic precipitated significant disruptions, including widespread school closures and increased social isolation, which are hypothesized to have influenced youth behavior. The primary objectives of...

This study investigated the relationship between parenting attachment style and emotional regulation of secondary school students in public and private schools in Kikuyu County, Kenya. The study employed a quantitative method study design by combining correlational survey and phenomenological research designs. The study was guided by attachment the...

Marital satisfaction is a key indicator of happiness and stability in marriage, yet modern family life faces significant challenges, including rising divorce rates, declining marriage prevalence, increased cohabitation, and the complexities introduced by same-sex marriage legalization. This study examines the Big Five personality traits and their r...

Death in the African context does not dissolve marriages instead the widow continues to be wed to the family. Losing a spouse is a dreadful experience that is followed by unpleasant feelings and necessitates effective coping mechanisms to prevent adverse psychological reactions. This study examined the widowhood rituals practiced by widows in Alego...

Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) is being adopted in Kenya, emphasizing practical skills for real-world application. While the effects of CBC on learners have been studied, its impact on parents’ mental health remains unexplored. This study explores the perceptions of parents on the CBC in Nairobi County, Kenya. Using Epstein’s parental involvemen...

A ‘Big Two’ model has shown stronger cross-cultural replicability and links to theory than other contemporary models of personality trait structure. However, its theoretical and measurement models require better specification. We address this to create an initial English-language version of the Cross-Cultural Big Two Inventory (CCB2I) with an empir...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is becoming increasingly significant in global cultural, political, and economic contexts. Despite its rich cultural diversity, we hypothesized that many SSA cultures are characterized by a unique combination of intense personal goal pursuit (self-promotion) and strong commitment to ingroup relationships (interdependence)....

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) presents a unique emotional pattern that challenges dominant frameworks in the current literature. In many regions, personal success typically elicits pride, while the success of an ingroup member evokes connection—reinforcing a distinction between individual and collective achievement. In contrast, success in SSA—whether o...

Introduction: Cultural factors were shown to be particularly relevant for the development and expression of posttraumatic stress. Recently, the concept of cultural scripts of trauma has been introduced, which proposes that trauma sequelae elements may be sequentially linked and specifically associated with cultural factors. Furthermore, a cascade m...

Death is as old as life itself. The unpredictable psychological feeling called grief is usually accompanied by emotional setbacks such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and yearning. Within these emotions also lie the reality of dreaming about the deceased. Thus, this study aimed to assess the role of dreams in grief process among selected communit...

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psycho-Spiritual Wellbeing of Survivors of Fulani Herdsmen Attacks in St. Ignatius Mission Mbalom Makurdi Diocese Benue State, Nigeria. The study's objectives were, to examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, to assess the levels...

Maternal health is crucial not only for the life of the mother but also for the preservation of human posterity. This study investigated effectiveness of antenatal support programs and perceived psychological well-being of expectant mothers in selected hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study addressed the following objectives; to determine th...

Do people in different societies experience morality differently in everyday life? Using experience sampling methods, we investigate everyday moral experiences in a sample from 20 countries across 6 continents, thereby replicating and extending a large-scale study originally conducted in the United States and Canada. We aim to replicate key finding...

Traditional circumcision is considered an important rite of passage that marks the transition from boyhood to manhood. It is often seen as a way to initiate young males into adult society and convey societal expectations of masculinity. Based on the Ubuntu philosophy, the study employed a qualitative exploratory design and semi-structured interview...

Health is a human right and over the years, national governments have invested heavily to provide citizens with quality, accessible, and affordable health care. Although some aspects of women’s health have improved, there are still important unmet needs. The Maasai community has a patriarchal social structure, where men hold positions of power and...

Alcohol use is considerably rampant among teachers and has impacted negatively on teaching and learning especially in public schools where productivity of teachers is extremely low, giving rise to a worrying trend. This study sought to establish demographic correlates of alcohol use among male teachers in Muranga County in Kenya. The study adopted...

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the levels of marital satisfaction among protestant clergy in Dagoretti South Sub-County Methodology: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample size of 273 protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a simple random sampling technique for quantitat...

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine appraisal support dynamics for protestant clergy and their spouses on marital satisfaction in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya. Methodology: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample size of 273 protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a...

Purpose: Having a strong family support is one of the most important factors contributing to successful rehabilitation and especially among adolescent ex-offenders and thereafter gain a sustainable livelihood. This study sought to examine the role of family support in the social re-integration of adolescent offenders in Kinshasa city. The study was...

Purpose: There has been a long debate on the relationship between organizational review systems and sustainability of community development projects. This study focused on organizational review systems and sustainability of community development projects; a case study of hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study specifically assessed the effect...

Alcohol addiction is a problem that continues to affect the global population. Being male has been reported as higher risk to alcohol consumption compared to being female. This has been linked to many male related factors with limited studies done on the role of conformity to masculinity on alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse is considerably rampant...

Breast cancer has been on the increase lately and it is the leading cause of cancer-related death among females worldwide. Specifically, the study was guided by the following objective that assessed traumatic stress associated with diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among female survivors in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study adopted a mixed me...

Kenyans are known to consume lots of tea. This study investigated Kenyans' tea drinking attitude and the possible traces of tea addiction. A correlation design was employed by using an online questionnaire to obtain information from 335 respondents who participated through voluntary sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive inferential sta...

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between parenting styles and academic performance of secondary school students in public and private schools in Lamu County, Kenya. The study employed an embedded mixed-method study design by combining correlational survey and phenomenological research designs. The study was informed by Vygotsky's...

Abstract: Deviant behaviour is seen as a complex social and psychological phenomenon, associated with the way the person interacts with their environment. This would mean that deviant behaviour problem depends on the interaction between the personality and society. Deviant behaviour among teachers is in the rise assuming a global phenomenon. Althou...

The purpose of this study was to examine attachment styles and delinquent behaviours of children brought up in foster care centers in Njiru Ward, Kasarani Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following research questions: What are the attachment styles and delinquent behavior patterns among foster children in Njiru Ward? W...

The major purpose of this study was to explore the role of African traditional marriage rites on marital stability; in a case study of the Abagusii ethnic community from Kisii and Nyamira counties, Kenya. The study was based on the Symbolic Interactionism (SI) theory of Social Psychology and adopted the use of narrative qualitative research methods...

Abstract: Refugees are exposed to traumatic experiences related to violence, death threat, hunger, trafficking, torture and much other criminal victimization. Such exposure makes the refugees vulnerable and adversely affects their psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the migration traumatic experiences among Eritrean r...

Personal therapy is experienced as a mandatory requirement in many counseling and psychotherapy training worldwide with the view that it yields positive outcomes in terms of personal and professional developments. However, some counseling students think this is not beneficial in their training. This study, therefore, assessed mandatory personal the...

Personal Therapy is an important aspect of most counselors' training worldwide. Being made mandatory can generate negative attitudes among postgraduate counseling students. This study thus investigated the attitudes of postgraduate counseling students to mandatory personal therapy in selected universities in Nairobi County, Kenya. A mixed methods c...

Personal Therapy is an important aspect of most counselors' training worldwide. Being made mandatory can generate negative attitudes among postgraduate counseling students. This study thus investigated the attitudes of postgraduate counseling students to mandatory personal therapy in selected universities in Nairobi County, Kenya. A mixed methods c...

The subject of death remains uncomfortable across many cultures globally. Exposure to one's own death could trigger severe existential anxiety which has been widely seen as negative. However there is emerging evidence that death anxiety has the potential to bring about positive transformation that could act as a protective factor to future threat t...

The study was designed to investigate the role of community-based informal approaches in child protection in Mwingi Central Sub County, Kitui County. In order to address the above-stated objective, the study adopted a transformative worldview with an emphasis on mixed methods research design. The study used both probability and non-probability samp...

Effective child protection framework requires a holistic approach where all actors are involved. This study was conceived to assess the level of collaboration between community-based informal approaches and government formal child protection structures in Mwingi central sub county. The study adopted mixed methods research design where data collecti...

This research aimed at examining the relationship between family functioning and teenagers' sexual behavioral patterns amongst students in public secondary schools in Kajiado West sub-county, Kajiado County, Kenya. The research used survey design with a target population of 6085 students from public secondary schools. Based on Yamane's formula, the...

The care of children with motor impairments is a global concern. Their psychological wellbeing is a great concern for those living with them. This study aimed at investigating the quality of care given to these children and their psychological wellbeing in Embu County, Kenya. The study adopted cross-sectional research design to collect data. A samp...

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of social skills training on enhancing self-concept of teenage mothers in Kibera. Because teenage pregnancy is considered as a global issue. A large proportion of teenage mothers give up on themselves and struggle with negative emotions resulting from societal stigma, reje...

Abstract: The Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic life (CICLSAL) views the issue of Consecrated Women abandoning religious life after initial stages of formation as an emotional crisis from remote disappointments caused by an inauthentic religious community living. Failure to adjust is experienced to cause...

Self-concept among adolescents is dynamic because of the struggle to find true identity while maintaining social acceptability. Social media may be seen as a social laboratory providing freedom to experiment with different presentations of self. The study examined the relationship between selected social networking sites (WhatsApp, Facebook, and In...

Abstract: The Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic life (CICLSAL) views the issue of Consecrated Women abandoning religious life after initial stages of formation as an emotional crisis from remote disappointments caused by an inauthentic religious community living. Failure to adjust is experienced to cause...

The Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic life (CICLSAL) views the issue of Consecrated Women abandoning religious life after initial stages of formation as an emotional crisis from remote disappointments caused by an inauthentic religious community living. Failure to adjust is experienced to cause anxiety r...

As a result of a long colonial history and subsequent developmental and economic challenges, many African countries have struggled to put in place adequate policies, systems, and associated infrastructures to address the health and social needs of their citizens. With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening human lives and livelihoods, concerns are raise...

As a result of a long colonial history and subsequent developmental and economic challenges, many African countries have struggled to put in place adequate policies, systems, and associated infrastructures to address the health and social needs of their citizens. With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening human lives and livelihoods, concerns are raise...

Abstract Personal Therapy is practiced in the training programs for psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors in Kenya. Being made mandatory and the burden of time and money are of ethical concern. This study thus investigates mandatory personal therapy and its ethical challenges in the training programs of postgraduate clinical and counselin...

Personal Therapy is practiced in the training programs for psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors in Kenya. Being made mandatory and the burden of time and money are of ethical concern. This study thus investigates mandatory personal therapy and its ethical challenges in the training programs of postgraduate clinical and counseling psychol...

End of life planning is an important process towards quality of dying for all, yet it remains skewed towards the terminally ill. Prior planning and preparation for one's own death has been shown to improve psychological well-being towards end of life. The continued conceptualization of end of life planning in terms of palliative care leaves out a l...

Most refugees have frequently been subjected to a variety of potentially traumatic events, which have a wide range of negative consequences for their mental health and quality of life. However, some have also reported positive personal changes, and post-traumatic growth related to these potentially distressing events. This study was restricted only...

The academic staff in the university is a vital component in enhancement of academic affairs in any university. Due to the unending changes and dynamics that increase pressure and work related stress that academic staffs are subjected to, they are required to develop high levels of adaptability in their careers to enhance creativity so that they re...

Context: Death is an important part of lifespan development, yet it remains trivialized or feared across many cultures. The perpetuation of death as a taboo subject continues to negatively affect the society. Death anxiety inhibits death preparedness which could affect the quality of dying. The pool of unclaimed assets held by different organizati...

Integrating children from orphanages back to their family of origin remains a challenge to many children's homes in Tanzania. This study aimed at investigating the psychosocial challenges faced in the process of integrating the children back to their homes of origin. The study was guided by two research objectives namely, to examine the integration...

The excessive use of social networking sites by undergraduate university students is very alarming as it has led to some developing addiction to online social networking. This has been supported by statistics showing that university students are spending a lot of time on social networking sites. The aim of the study therefore was to investigate dem...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of culture shock on the psychosocial adjustment among refugees and asylum seekers in Kawangware area, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow's theory on the hierarchy of needs and Deprivation theory by Samuel Stouffer. The study employed the descriptive survey design. The target...

The study investigated the predictive relationship between initial trauma processing strategies and post traumatic growth among Garissa University terrorist attack survivors. The study was anchored on the organismic valuing theory after adversity, and adopted the correlation research design. A total sample of 200 participants was selected using sim...

The study sought to investigate the subjective evaluation of crisis counseling that was offered to the survivors of Garissa University terrorist attack. The study was nchored on the organismic valuing theory after adversity, and adopted the phenomenological qualitative research design. A total sample of 20 participants was selected using extreme ca...

The study investigated the predictive relationship between counseling and posttraumatic growth among Garissa University terrorist attack survivors. The study was anchored on the organismic valuing theory after adversity, and it adopted the explanatory sequential mixed method research design. The study took a two-phase model starting with quantitati...

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of social media on learning behaviour among secondary school students in Moshi Municipality in Tanzania. The study specifically sought to establish effects of social media on learning behaviour of secondary school students in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania. The study adopted Banduras' Social Learn...

The poster is a summary of findings for a research done to study the relationship between death attitudes and end of life planning. The aim was to measure the attitudes of young adults, middle adults and late adults towards their own death and how it facilitates end of life planning. The rationale for fear of death was also explored.

Preparation for own death remains a neglected part in the human life span. = Most countries invest heavily in death prevention with little or no policies on death preparation. = Hospice and palliative care is the emerging model of death preparation in many countries. = World Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) estimates the number of people in need of...

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of internet on university students` students`moral development in three universities in Iringa region-Tanzania. The study used convergent parallel mixed method design which is both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The researcher applied Moral development Theory by Lawrence Kohlberg in...

Consumption of counseling services in rural areas in Africa has become a major concern where a large number of populations consult non-professionals for interventions on psychological issues they face. While the profession is growing in Africa it has little formal structure.This paper focuses on low-income rural population in Makueni County in Lowe...

Cell phones have emerged as one of the most vital communication gargets worldwide. Nearly every family in the general population possess at least one cell phone. In Kenya, cell phone use by high school students within the school premises, remains outlawed. Educationists and parents have continued to associate poor performance in Language subjects...

As technology improves and advances, social networking sites have an even bigger impact on society and human relationships, both positive and negative. Social networking sites have influence on teenagers in the way they develop socially. The way teenagers are connected to these global SNSs is both a frightening prospect for parents and educators an...

1 ABSTRACT The significant presence of alcohol problems in the workforce has been a trending worry for most organizations in Kenya. Most employees are showing irregular work attendance, poor productivity, poor health and safety risks because of problems associated with alcoholism. This presents a cardinal challenge and a major threat for progressi...

Every community in the world responds to death and loss in unique ways. Funeral customs and ceremonies vary across different cultures worldwide. The study aimed at establishing how these rituals contribute to the psychological well-being of the bereaved. It also sought to establish the strengths and weaknesses of these rituals on the bereaved. The...