Petro Van Der Merwe

Petro van der Merwe is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). She obtained a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (DLitt et Phil) in Psychology in 2012. She combines research in psychology, education and the emerging field of cyber-psychology to develop an educational intervention focused on critical thinking skills, ethical and responsible use of the media. The suggested intervention, and her extensive research on adolescents’ digital media use, make a valuable contribution, since few studies in South Africa deal with this theme and there are limited interventions to prepare young people to deal with related challenges. Her academic and research interests concern the important role that Emotional Intelligence (EI) can play in an educational context. She has published in local and international accredited journals and presented a variety of papers in South Africa and abroad with the emphasis on these research themes