فصلنامه روان شناسی کاربردی
سال هفتم شماره 3 (پیاپی 27، پاییز 1392)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of selfefficacy group training on increasing quality of life and sexual self-efficacy of addicted men. A quasi-experimental design was employed where 30 men were selected by sequential sampling from a population of all addicted men who were under treatment in Parvaz Rehabilitation Centre in the city of Qazvin (N=150). Participants were randomly allocated to either a control or an experimental group (N=15 in each group). Measures included the World Health Organization’s (1998) Short Quality of Life (QoL) Form (1998) with 26 items and Reynolds’ Sexual Self-efficacy Scale (1978). All participants completed questionnaires prior to training, after the termination of training and at follow up. Self-efficacy group training was offered in seven weekly sessions of 90 minutes duration each to the experimental group and data were analyzed using analysis of covariance for repeated measures. Findings showed that self-efficacy group training improved every component of QoL except environmental health. Also training was found to be beneficial as far as sexual self-efficacy was concerned. These effects remained stable at follow up (after a period of two months). Self efficacy group training can be considered as an effective method for improving the quality of life and sexual self-efficacy in addicts. This may empower them to actualize their knowledge, attitudes and values so that they may become more motivated towards healthy behaviors.

The purpose of the present study was to determine personality characteristics in dimensions of temperament and character in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in comparison with patients with other anxiety disorders (OAD). A cross sectional method was used and participants were 85 patients attending a psychiatric clinic in the city of Shiraz during 2011–2012. Out of these, 45 patients with OCD and 43 patients with OAD diagnoses were selected (with the age range of 20-50 years) based on accessibility. The tools used were clinical interview, the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Beck's (1988) Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results showed that OCD patients showed significantly lower scores in novelty seeking and self-directedness dimensions in comparison with OAD patients. Also, anxiety level was not significantly different between the two groups. It seems that OCD patients have a lower tendency for having new experiences and independent decision making in contrast to OAD patients. The results can help psychologists to plan psychotherapy for OCD patients. Also psychotherapists can prepare schedules to promote initiatives and self - reliance for their routine decisions.

The aim of this study was to compare the psychodynamics of “self” between Iranian and American students. An ex post facto design was employed where more than 1000 university students in Tehran (754 women and 446 men) were selected via cluster sampling and completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Form M (Myers, McCauley, Quenk, & Hammer, 1998) and the Adjective Check List (Gough & Heilbrun, 1983). Results indicated that Iranians were more introverted and intuitive and Americans we’re more extraverted and sensing. Iranians also showed more tension in relationships and reported being more competitive, aggressive and showed low nurturance compared to their American counterparts which could be interpreted in accordance with the vertical social structure. These cultural differences were more salient among women. Iranian and American men were more similar to each other. The core differences between the two samples on psychodynamics of self-lie in security and the structure of power distribution, rationality, concreteness and gender. These findings could have implications in attempts to indigenize psychological concepts and reiterates the importance of culture in applied fields such as psychodynamic psychotherapy in Iran.

The aim of this research was to compare morphosyntatic categories in Down syndrome and normal groups. A retrospective methodology was employed in 43 children with Down syndrome aged 10 to 20 and 40 normal children aged 8 to 12 years selected from a total population of 2,000 children and adolescents with Down syndrome and 450000 normal children. Participants had met entry criteria set for the study and were matched. From both groups speech samples were collected using a Persian Visual Story Book, Vols. 1 and 2 (Ashtiani, 1995). Based on data analysis, children with Down syndrome were significantly different from normal children in producing whole words, prepositions and MLUs, but this difference was not significant in producing verbs and nouns. The overall performance of the control group was better than the group with Down syndrome. According to these results, the pattern of deficit in individuals with Down syndrome is not developmental delay so the treatment of language disorders in children with down syndrome must be different from those with developmental language delay and treatment must be different in each language category.

The purpose of this research was to study the role of ten life skills training on self-efficacy of students in higher education institutions. The statistical population of this study included all students of vocational and technical school of Azad University of Karaj branch in the 2012–2013 academic year. The number was 4,000 people.70 students were chosen randomly and were divided into an experimental and a control (35 people in Each) groups. Research method was quasi-experimental with tests were conducted at the beginning of the training session (pretest) at the end of the training session (posttest) and two months after the termination of training (follow up). The experimental group was given training on ten basic skills based on the protocol suggested by the World Health Organization. 10 sessions of 90 minutes duration each were conducted once a week. The general self-efficacy questionnaire (Scherer, 1982) was administered to all participants as described above. Results showed that life skills training consisting of self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, anger management, effective interpersonal skills, assertiveness, problem solving, dealing with stress, decision making and creative thinking has a significant positive effect on the self-efficacy of Iranian university students and that this effect seems to have reasonably good stability over time. It is concluded that the results of this research shows the necessity of life skills training and its role in improving and increasing selfefficacy of students.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the rate and type of internet usage with educational achievement of boys and girls in high schools. The research method was correlation one. Statistical population included 545184 students of first grade of Shiraz high schools from four educational districts that 600 students of them were selected as research sample by using random multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data instruments were included: Internet addiction questionnaire made by Demetrovics (2008) and self made questionnaire for measuring the rate and type of internet usage and GPA of students’ grade as an index of academic achievement. Findings indicated the significant differences among boys and girls students in terms of using search engine motors, searching articles from internet, creating web pages, using internet games and other entertainments. As, the amount of boys students’ usage was more than girls. Also, there was a negative relationship between students’ Internet addiction and their academic achievement. Attention should be made to the gender differences related to the students’ internet usage and the amount of their dependence to Internet, because of its importance for students’ social and academic life. There should be informative educational programs for avoiding the bad results of addiction to internet.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of meta cognitive strategies instruction on achievement motivation of highschool Students. The present study was quasi-experimental, prepost design with one control group and one experimental group. The population under study included all high school girls in the city of Ramsar in North Iran during the 2011–12 academic year (N=1250) Using cluster sampling a sample of 60 students were selected from three high schools. These were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group (30 girls in each group). Meta-cognitive strategies were instructed in five one-hundred minute sessions held every fortnight. post test results showed that with increasing meta-cognitive awareness, students’ achievement motivation also increased. As achievement motivation is one of the most important causes of academic achievement and meta cognitive strategies seems to be closely related to it, training to enhance the latter may have beneficial effects on the former.