مجله پژوهش های کاربردی روانشناختی
سال یازدهم شماره 2 (تابستان 1399)

The purpose of this study was to provide a model for the relationship between domestic violence and cognitive functions by examining the mediating role of psychological distress and emotion-regulation strategies in female victims of violence through a path analysis. The statistical population of this study consisted of female victims of violence who visited different branches of Tehran Forensic Medicine Center in 2018. Considering the relationship between research variables in such sample, the research method was descriptive-correlative type. The relationship between the variables was analyzed according to the research goals. After obtaining subjects’ informed consent, 200 abused women were selected by a purposive sampling method, based on entry-exit criteria. Then they were asked to fill out questionnairs including Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) (Gross and John 2003), Domestic Violence Questionnaire (Pournaghash Tehrani, 2005), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (2005) and the short-form version of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) (1995). Results showed that the proposed modified empirical model has good fit indices. According to this model, domestic violence has direct and indirect effects on cognitive functions. In addition, psychological distress, reappraisal emotion-regulation strategy and suppression emotion-regulation strategy had a mediating role in the relationship between domestic violence and cognitive functions.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the family-based psychological intervention program on the marital satisfaction of employed parents with adolescent children. The research method build on quasi-experimental, (experimental and control groups with with pre-test and post-test). A total of 30 employed parents working in a governmental organization, with having at least one child between 11-16 years, were selected and randomly assigned into two equal experimental and control groups. The experimental group was trained with the psychological intervention program, consisting of 12 sessions of group training (90 minutes once a week).The control group did not receive any interventions during this period. The research tools were Demographic characteristics questionnaire, Needs Assessment and Afrooz Marital Satisfaction Scale (2010) (AMSS). Data analysis was done by repeated measures MANCOVA. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the level of satisfaction of paired (P <0.05) and the intervention program The compilation improved the parity satisfaction of all sub-scales, and these results were sustained in three-month follow-ups.

The aim of this study was investigating the stress levels of mental health professionals in the process of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders based on the Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP). The present study was an applied research project and used a quasi-experimental method. The population consists of psychologists and psychiatrists with more than two years of treatment experience. The sample includes 30 therapists who are chosen in a public call during a competition called Top Therapists. The competition was held at Atieh Clinic in 2018. To gather data, some tools such as Questionnaire, Stress Response Evaluation, and Morae software were used. The findings show that the therapists, contrary to the Kuhlthau's view, experience a certain amount of stress at all stages of Kuhlthau's ISP. This level of stress, which is significantly different from the baseline stress of therapists, does not change considerably in most stages of Kuhlthau's ISP. This stress is seen as a useful and effective one, based on the focus and excitement of the therapists in the diagnosis and treatment process. In addition, all demographic variables except gender may have a significant effect on stress. Finally, it can be concluded that by relying on modern neuroscience and information technology tools, one can provide a better understanding of the moment-by-moment process of therapists' information seeking behavior.

The purpose of this reaserch is to compare Iran and Korea in  matemathics achievement based on contributing factors at two levels: students (Gender, Social-Economic Statue, Self-efficacy, Attitude, Utility, Time and opportunity) and teachers (Experiance, Education, Time and opportunity and teaching). The research is fundamental in terms of its purpose and based on correlation analysis. The statistical population of the present study consists of students who are enrolled in the eighth grade in the academic year of 2010-2011 and have participated in the TIMSS 2011 (1153363 Iranian students and 672415 Korean students). Of these, 6029 students from 238 schools in Iran and 5166 students from 150 schools in Korea were surveyed as part of the sample. In this research, we used a multilevel method approach (two level) with HLM software to run models of one way Anova with random effects model, one way Ancova with random effects, means as outcomes regression model, random coefficient regression model. The results provided empirical evidence that factors related to mathematics achievement  are different in  Iran and Korea. In Iran, the variance of student level and teacher level was not significantly different, but in Korea the highest variance of mathematical performance was explained by student level factors. Attending to these differences is crucial, and each country should plan and make policies to improve its performance with the model that best suits its situation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of biomarkers (omission error, commission error, reaction time, reaction time variability) derived from ECPT in diagnosing depression in patients, as well as examining the possible role of gender in this disorder. This research was conducted using non-experimental causal-comparative method. The statistical population of the present study was all patients referred to Atieh Clinic located in Tehran, Iran. The sampling method was convenience sampling, and the participants were selected based on the clinical criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) at the clinic 2017-18: (depressed: 29 females and 21 males, normal:19 females and 31 males). The instrument used in this study was the Emotional Continuous Performance Assignment (ECPT). The research hypothesis was tested by factor analysis of variance (gender * group). The results showed that the mean omission error and commission error in depressed men were higher than that of normal men. Also, the mean reaction time variability was higher in women. According to the results, depression in men seems to affect the cognitive system more severely than it does in women. In addition, it can be concluded that these biomarkers do not seem to be effective enough in diagnosing depression.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness and anger management training on anger, anxiety and depression in first grade high school male bullies. The statistical population includes all high school male students in Karaj, in the academic year of 97-98. The research method was quasi-experimental using a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. First, 400 high school students responded to the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ). Then, 60 participants were selected using random sampling method and based on the clinical cutoff score. Then they were divided into two groups of experiment (n =15) and control (n = 15). The experimental group was trained according to the protocol of mindfulness and anger management and the control group did not receive any training. The instruments used in this study were Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Mindfulness Training Protocol (8 session, 60 minute), and Anger Management Training Protocol (6 session,60 minute). The results of the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that the mindfulness training was effective in reducing anxiety; and also, the anger management training was effective in reducing anger and depression. This research also showed that there was a significant difference between the effectiveness of mindfulness and anger management trainings and both could be effective as a complementary program in reducing bullying.

Marriage empowerment programs seem to have significant effects on the functionality of families.The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a marriage monitoring program. The research method of this study is sequential exploratory mixed-method. In the first step, 45 internal and external studies related to this research were selected to identify the criteria, executive processes, and the content of the marriage monitoring program through checklist-based systematic review (CAPS). Following the collection of the program protocol and applying the translate-retranslate technique, fifteen specialists including family therapists, couple therapists, and university professors evaluated the content validity (CVR), face validity, and reliability of the program. The measurement tools used in this process were Relationship Check-up questionnaire: areas of strength (RMCQ-S) including 32 items, Relationship Check-up questionnaire: areas of concerns (RMCQ-C) including 43 questions, and Marriage Checkup Questionnaire: Relationship domains Assessment (MCQ-R) including 64 questions. The results indicated the content validity of the Relationship Strengths questionnaire (CVR= 0.76), the Relationship Concerns questionnaire (CVR=0.71) and the Relationship domains questionnaire (CVR=0.66). The value of Kappa coefficientin in this study, was 0.71 percentage of agreement among the evaluators indicating high reliability. Also, the Cronbach's alpha for the scales used in the study was obtained in the relationship monitoring questionnaire: Areas of strength: 0.85,Areas of concern 0.89, and marriage checkup questionnaire: relationship domains assessment 0/81. The results indicated that the marriage monitoring program functions as a preventive and motivational intervention by examining different aspects of marital relationships.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of rhythmic motor exercises on executive functions in the components of behavioral inhibition and working memory of high-functioning autistic children. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The participants of the study were 38 autistic children with the age range of 8 to 12 years in the medical centers of the Markazi province. 20 high-functioning autistic boys (from Rezvan Autism Charity Medical Center in the Markazi Province in 2018) were selected by using available sampling method based on the Autism Spectrum Disorder Scale Questionnaire (ASSQ) (1999). Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental (10 subjects) and control (10 subjects) groups. Both groups were first evaluated using the Heart and Flowers Test (THF) (2006). The experimental group received rhythmic motor exercises in 10 sessions (each 45 minutes) over 6 weeks by two instructors. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Findings showed that rhythmic motor exercises improved executive functions in terms of of behavioral inhibition and working memory of high-functioning autistic children. Therefore, it is suggested that these exercises to be used to improve the executive functions of high-functioning autistic children in behavioral inhibition and working memory components.

Rumination can be considered as one of the most important problems for injured athletes. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the reduction of rumination in adolescent female athletes with athletic injury. The method of the study is a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and follow-up with a control group. The population of the present study was comprised of adolescent female athletes with sports injuries in national teams, leagues and national competitions in 1398 in Tehran, from which 30 participants were selected using  convenience sampling, and they were randomly assigned to two groups of 15 (experimental and control group. Then, in pre-test all participants completed the Nolen-Hoeksema’s (2003) Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) questionnaire. In the next phase, the experimental group received an eight-session intervention (90 min each, twice a week), while the control group did not receive any intervention. The results of repeated measures ANOVA and following pairwise comparison revealed significantly less ruminative scores for experimental group in the post-test and the follow-up test; however,  the control group did not perform significantly different in all three tests. Moreover, in the post-test and the follow-up test, the experimental group had lower scores than that of control group. The results indicated that the acceptance and commitment therapy reduced the rumination in professional adolescent female athletes with athletic injury.

Student excitement has made vandalism a dominant phenomenon in schools across the country. Increase in this behavioral anomaly has raises edcuation costs. The purpose of this study was to identify and explain the most important factors impacting students' tendency to engaging in vandalism by Fuzzy Dematel method. Due to the complex and ambiguous structure of factors affecting students' vandalism, fuzzy DEMATEL method was used to analyze the data and identify the underlying factors.. In this study, the theoretical issues and possible factors influencing students' tendency to engage in vandalism are extracted through expert interviews. Participants in this study were 34 principals and assistant principals of high schools in Khorramabad who were selected by purposive sampling (Male = 18 people, female = 16 people). All the participants were in managerial ranks and had at least 15 years of relevant work experience. The data collection tool in this study relied on semi-structured interviews (the qualitative component) and a fuzzy Dimtel questionnaire designed by the researchers (the quantitative component). The results showed that panache, family education, mental emotions, location texture, peer group are the most effective factors shaping students' tendency to engage in vandalism.

Creativity is defined as producing original and valuable ideas. Cognitive and neuroscience studies have investigated nonverbal and neural underpinnings of creativity through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In the current experiment the study included 40 students of faculty of psychology from the University of Tehran. Participants were randomly assigned to either experimental or sham groups by accessible sampling. Descriptive statistical analysis like frequency, frequency percentage, average, standard deviation, variance, Pierson correlation and inferential statistic like variance analysis of multiple variables were conducted. The results show that left cathode-right anodal tDCS stimulation of posterior parietal cortex (PPC; P3-P4 based on 10-20 international system) had a significant effect on within and between subject scores of FPT in the experimental group in comparison with the sham group. Findings of current study imply that PPC has a role in neural underpinnings and enhancement of creativity.

The purpose of this study was to promote working memory and processing speed in children and adolescents surviving from acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a history of chemotherapy, utilizing a cognitive rehabilitation training. The population of this research, which is an applied and quasi-experimental study, included 60 adolescents survived from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (32 female and 28 male) with a history of chemotherapy who attended Imam Reza Outpatient Oncology Clinic (Shiraz, Iran) during last year[AJ1] (1397- 1398). The participants were assigned using target-based sampling and random assignment methods to two groups of intervention and waiting list (control group) (n=30 per group, 16 female & 14 male). The subjects in the experimental group were provided with 12 forty-five -minute sessions of cognitive rehabilitation training, using the software “CogMed”. The data was obtained using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-4) in three stages of pretest, post-test, and follow-up (2 months after post-test). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics (analysis of covariance). Results showed significant improvements in the scores of working memory and processing speed in the intervention group (p < 0.01, working memory mean in pretest in experimental and control group respectively: 12.4 and 11.60 & in post-test: 17.25 and 11.50; and processing speed mean in pretest in experimental and control group respectively: 51.45 & 51.70 and in post-test: 59.95 & 51.70). Thus, cognitive rehabilitation appears to be useful for adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise on self-harm symptoms in adolescent girls. The method of the present study is applied in nature and is quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and a control group. The data were collected in the field, and the statistical population of the study includes all ninth grade female students in the first half of 2018 in city of Karaj. These included thirty female adolescent students who had high symptoms of self-harm and a history of self-harm. With the cooperation of researchers, counselors and school teachersthe subjects were selected from 3 selected schools in one of the cities of the province as a convenience and purposive sample and the subjects were randomly divided into two experimental (15 people) and control groups (15 people). The instrument was included a demographic questionnaire, a 22-item self-harm inventory (Shi) (Sansone, Wiederman 1998). The experimental group participated in the aerobic exercise protocol for 8 weeks (three one-hour sessions per week). The results of two-way analysis of variance showed that eight weeks of aerobic exercise had no significant effect on self-harm in adolescent girls (P=0.153). However, it led to a significant reduction in the number of adolescent girls’ self-harm (P=0.010). Therefore, we conclude that aerobic exercise can reduce the frequency of self-harm in adolescent girls.

This study aims at designing and examining the relationship amongst perceived leadership styles, self-efficacy, structural empowerment and psychological empowerment. Structural equation modeling was used conducting this study. The population of this study is comprised of 385 10th grade teachers in Khoramabad city selected using the multi-stage cluster sampling method. Spreitzer and Mishra’s Psychological Empowerment Scale (1995), Hersey and Blanchard Perceived Leadership Style Scale (2012), Kordnaij, Bakhshizadeh & Fatholahi Structural Empowerment (2014), and Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, and Hoy Teacher Self-efficacy Scale (2001) were used in this study. The findings indicated that among perceived leadership styles, the relationship between the delegating (Laissez-Faire) and selling leadership styles, and self-efficacy was significant; however,  the relationship between self-efficacy and participating and telling leadership styles was not significant. The results also suggested that selling and participating leadership styles had direct, positive, and significant effects on psychological empowerment. Moreover, indirect effects of selling and delegating leadership styles on psychological empowerment with the mediation of self-efficacy were significant. However, the results were not indicative of a direct and significant relationship between structural empowerment and psychological empowerment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating role of interpersonal problems in the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and depression in female students who were in romantic relationships. The research method was descriptive-correlational based on the research hypotheses. The sample of 317 participants were selected from all single female university students in Tehran province in the academic year of 1397-98 who had been in a romantic relationship for at least two months. The measurement tools used in the research were cognitive emotion regulation strategies questionnaire, depression scale, and interpersonal problems scale. The results were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).The results showed that emotion regulation strategies (adaptive/ maladaptive) with standardized coefficient of -0.04 and 0.10 respectively, had significant effect on depression by the mediation of interpersonal problems (p < 0.05). Based on the results, low adaptive emotion regulation strategies and high maladaptive emotion regulation strategies by the mediation of interpersonal problems could contribute to an increase in the symptoms of depression.