International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 2, 2015

Introducation: According to the studied literature، driving accidents followed by cardiovascular diseases، is the second cause (the first in the age group below 40 years) leading to deaths in Iran. Based on research، accidents are affected by mental health status، behavioral problems and attitudes of drivers. The aim of the present study is to prepare psycho-social skill training packages for drivers and investigating its effectiveness on mental health. Its negative effects such as anxiety and aggression have been also studied. The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a single pretest - posttest group. The sample included 350 bus drivers in Tehran whom were randomly divided into 10 groups and received training. All the participants، in both the two stages of pre-test and post-test completed the Redford''s Williams Hostility Inventory، Trait-State Anxiety Inventory of Adulthood and Mental Health Inventory. The educational package of the psycho-social intervention for drivers was carried out in 9، 80 minute sessions at the Khaje- Nasir University. For data analysis، the dependent t-test and repeated measures were used. Results of the hostility scale showed that means of pre-test and post-test have no significant difference with each other. In addition، the findings of the t-test on state anxiety showed that the mean of pre-test and post-test do not have any significant difference either. Results of the mental health scale (with two subscales) showed that the means of the pre-test and post-test did not have any significant differences. Also the effects on psychological distress component was higher than psychological well-being. Participating in the workshop، has led to decreasing the mean level of hostility، anxiety and psychological distress، although the difference was not considerable. The training package of psycho-social skills also has led to increasing the mean of psychological well-being and reducing psychological distress.

The aim of the present research was to conduct a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of play therapy studies on behavioral disorders in children. The method of this study was meta-analysis. Twenty two studies from throughout Iran (1996 to 2012) including 637 participants were used in this meta-analysis. Data was analyzed using standardized mean difference effect size method for fixed effect model or Cohen’s d (Cohen، 1988، Hooman، 2008). All statistical operations were accomplished by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis، Version 2. 0 (Borenstein، Hedges، Higgins & Rothestein، 2005، translated by Delavar & Ganji، 2012). Results showed that the mean of mixed-model of effect size was 0/434 for the fixed effect model and 0/477 for the random effect model that both of them were significant in 0/001 level. In view of the fact that the effect sizes were heterogeneous، searches were done for moderator variables. Results showed that there wasn’t any significant difference between the effect sizes of studies، regarding the research design and gender of participants. The differences between the effect sizes of studies about the effectiveness of play therapy studies on behavioral disorders in children، regarding the age of participants and number of play therapy sessions were significant. It can be concluded that carrying out play therapies in many sessions and in lower ages could decrease behavioral disorder symptoms in children.

Attentional bias components are important factors in the etiology and maintenance of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy in attentional bias components of patients with generalized anxiety disorder This research was administrated in a single subject experimental design framework using multiple baselines. According to the tendency of the participants، structured diagnostic interview and inclusion criteria، 2 GAD patients were selected randomly. Participants received cognitive behavioral therapy according to the Dugas’s model for GAD in twelve sessions. Patients receiving cognitive-behavior therapy were examined by the dot probe task. To analyze the data، indexes of process changes، slope and interpretation of ups & downs in charts were employed. Cognitive-behavior therapy dramatically reduced delayed disengagement from threat in subjects. This means the scores during the intervention sessions were significantly reduced compared with baseline scores. The visual inspection of charts and size effects indicated significant decreases in delayed disengagement from threat in participants. No effectiveness of cognitive - behavioral therapy was seen in the facilitated attention to threat. Findings generally showed that cognitive-behavior therapy via directly and indirectly targeting the mechanisms of attentional bias components can be considered as an appreciate choice for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. These findings have constructive clinical implications in the treatment of anxiety disorder، particularly about GAD.

Children and adolescents need some skills and instructions so that they can cope with life tensions and preserve their psychological health. Educating communication skills can make children ready for overcoming these tensions. The purpose of this study is to survey the effects of teaching communication skills on the adjustment and empathy of girl students at elementary schools. The present study is a semi-experimental research including all fourth and fifth grade girl students of the Roudbar City، Guilan province at 1392-93 curriculums. Among the 126 students، 30 of them were selected and randomly divided into two experimental and controlled groups at the screening level and based on getting necessary scores in two Sinha and Sing Questionnaire and Beriant’s empathy Questionnaire. The results of one variable covariance analysis of data showed that training communication skills is significantly effective on the adjustment of all students. The results of the multi variable covariance analysis of adjustment components also showed that training communication skills have significant differences on each three groups of adjustment components (social، emotional and schooling). Also، the results of the covariance analysis showed that teaching communication skills is significantly effective on the empathy of students. Considering the fact that in teaching communication skills programs، the quality of social and emotional communication with peers and the environment is noted and also the context or opportunity of exploiting these skills in actual and objective environments are provided، so the use of these kinds of programs is necessary in educational environments.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group schema therapy on cognitive emotion regulation strategies of students with social anxiety disorder. This study was an experimental research، and a pre-test، post-test and control group design was applied. The statistical population of this study included male students in Isfahan University with social anxiety disorder symptoms in the academic year of 1392-93. The sample of the study included 20 male students among the male students in Isfahan University which had been identified by the scales of Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and Structured Clinical Interview through simple random sampling. Then they were assigned into two groups of control and experimental. They were finally assessed with cognitive emotional regulation strategy scales. The experimental group received group schema therapy training for 2 months (8 sessions of 90 minutes) while the control group received no training at all. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that group schema therapy training of cognitive emotion regulation strategies was effective. In addition، schema therapy can improve positive reappraisal، refocus on planning، self-blame، rumination، other-blame and catastrophizing. Schema therapy can be used as an effective intervention for the treatment of diseases that cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a key role in maintaining.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of personality traits (conscientiousness and neuroticism) and organizational characteristics (job characteristics، organizational justice، person-job fit and organization - based self-esteem) with work motivation. Participants included 225 employees of the Lorestan National Oil Products Distribution Company (NOPDC). The instruments used in this study included the Work Motivation Scale، the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI)، the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS)، the Organizational Justice Questionnaire، the Person-Job Fit Scale and Organization-Based Self-Esteem Scale. Results indicated that conscientiousness، job characteristics، organizational justice، person-job fit and organization - based self-esteem were positively related with work motivation and neuroticism was negatively related with work motivation. Moreover، hierarchical regression analysis revealed that predictor variables (conscientiousness، job characteristics، organizational justice، person-job fit and organization - based self-esteem) account for 61 percent of the variance of work motivation. Regarding the relationships between predictor variables (conscientiousness، job characteristics، organizational justice، person-job fit and organization - based self-esteem) and work motivation، organizations should select employees with high score conscientiousness for increasing their work motivation and should focus on increasing organizational variables such as job characteristics، organizational justice، person-job fit and organization - based self-esteem in the workplace.

There is a difference between the expectations of patients and the actual care that they receive by nurses. Since the patients of emergency departments require immediate treatment and caring، understanding their expectations is necessary in order to provide high quality care. This study has been performed to clarify the nurses and patients’ perception on the concept of emergency caring. This qualitative approach study was performed with a content analysis method. During a six month period 25 nurses and patients in emergency departments werer selected with a purposeful sampling method in two teaching hospitals in Tehran. Also، the deep semi structured interview data were collected and concurrent analyzed by using a conventional qualitative content analysis method. Constant comparative analysis of data showed that the final theme of the patients and nurses perception of care in emergency departments had divergence meanings. This theme was formed in two categories. Patients’ needs and the routine tasks of nurses. Patient’s needs included quick pain relief caused by disease، privacy and respect and quick determination of the status of hospitalization. The perception of nurses included performing tasks accurately، rapidly and comprehensively. As a conclusion، it is said that emergency care means the views of patients based on their needs and their acute situation. Nurses perceptions from care based on their understanding of the circumstances and experience. These findings show that there is a deep meaning divergence between the patients and nurses perception of emergency care. To reduce tensions and improve the quality of care، nurses and managers should pay attention to solving these challenges.