Comparing dysfunctional attitude and cognitive flexibility between women with and without a history of divorce

This study aimed to compare dysfunctional attitudes and cognitive flexibility between women with and without a history of divorce. The study population included all women who were supported by Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation in Gilangharb due to divorce and the resultant financial problems. A sample of 40 people as the statistical sample and 40 people with no history of divorce as the control group who were selected through simple random sampling. The design of the study was causal-comparative. Weissman & Beck (1978) Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, and Dennis, Vander, Wal (2010) Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire were used for data collection. The data were submitted to multivariate analysis of variance( MANOVA). The results showed that the mean scores of divorced people in dysfunctional attitudes was significantly higher than those without a history of divorce, (F= 66.12 , p > .001), but with regard to cognitive flexibility (F=94. 8 p < .01) and its subscales, i.e., perceived control (F=12.14 p < .001), the perception of several solutions (F=21.6 , p < .01) and perception briefings (F=81.3 , p < .05), the mean scores of the women with a history of divorce were significantly lower than those without a history of divorce.