Renier Steyn

Speaker

Renier Steyn obtained the following degrees in Psychology from the North West University: BA in 1987, Hons BA in 1988 and MA in 1990. After his studies at Potchefstroom, he completed compulsory military service at the Military Psychological Institute in Pretoria (Tshwane). He joined the South African Police Services (SAPS) in 1991. From 1991 to 2001, he held the positions of Principal Psychologist, Chief Psychologist and Assistant Director. In 2002, he was appointed as Deputy Director responsible for Employee Assistance Services in Limpopo Province. In this position he was responsible for the development and implementation of wellness promotion strategies. He held this position until his appointment as Senior Lecturer at the UNISA School of Business Leadership (SBL) in 2008. His academic interests are wide and include applied social psychology and research methodology. He presented several professional papers at peer assessed local and international conferences on various topics ranging from physical fitness and personality to suicide prevention. He furthered his studies in industrial psychology and in 2002 obtained a PhD in Industrial and Personnel Psychology from the North West University. In that study, he applied social cognitive theory and developed a sound and integrated experiential learning intervention directed at the development of managers. In 2006 he obtained the degree DLitt et Phil (Psychology) from UNISA. In his thesis he expanded his research regarding the practical application of social cognitive theory and attributed substantially to the field of Social Psychology. He is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).