mohammadagha delavarpour

Online gaming addiction can negatively affect academic performance. Thus, it is important to understand the factors that influence it. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between online gaming addiction and academic engagement with the mediating role of executive functions among secondary school students. The present cross-sectional study included all secondary high school students in Tehran, Iran in the academic year of 2023-2024. A total number of 384 students were selected using the random cluster sampling method, and they were asked to fill out the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGD-20), Student Engagement Questionnaire, Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), and Nejati Cognitive Abilities Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24. The results showed that online game addiction is negatively correlated with students’ academic engagement (r=-0.336) as well as all dimensions of executive function, including planning (r=-0.425), cognitive flexibility (r=-0.455), working memory (r=-0.420), and inhibition (r=-0.350). Furthermore, path analysis revealed that online game addiction does not directly predict academic engagement (β=-0.12, P=0.37). However, it can indirectly predict academic engagement through the mediation of working memory (β=-0.013, P=0.025) and inhibition functions (β=-0.013, P=0.016). Overall, addiction to online games and the dimensions of executive function collectively account for nearly 44% of students’ academic engagement. These results suggested that excessive online gaming is destructive to cognitive abilities and motivation toward learning and schooling among adolescent students. Consequently, parents, teachers, and school psychologists should develop suitable educational, training, and therapeutic strategies to mitigate these harmful effects.

Nowadays, playing online games has become an integral part of the entertainment of male teenagers, so much so that for some of them, it is impossible to separate their lives from these types of games, and addiction to these games leads to these games. Studies have shown that some cognitive abilities such as appropriate executive functions and self-efficacy beliefs can be a deterrent and shock absorber of behavioral addictions similar to addiction to online games.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and academic self-efficacy with online game addiction.

The method of the present study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study consisted of all high school adolescents in Tehran in the academic year 2023-2024. The sample consisted of 250 high school students in Tehran who were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Internet Gaming Disorder Questionnaire (Pontes et al, 2014), the Cognitive Abilities Questionnaire (Nejati, 2013), and the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Morgan-Jinks et al., 2004). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS.27 software using Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression.

The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between academic self-efficacy and executive functions with online game addiction (P< 0.05). The results of multiple regression showed that 20% of the variance of online game addiction is explained by executive functions and academic self-efficacy.

Therefore, executive functions and academic self-efficacy have many practical implications in the fields of research, etiology, and treatment of addiction to online games.

The aim of the present study was to determine the mediating role of self-regulation in predicting academic self-handicapping among lower secondary school students based on their attachment to parents, peers, and teachers.

Methods and Materials:

 This research falls under the category of descriptive-correlational studies, utilizing structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of all female lower secondary school students in Tehran. The sample included 384 participants selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), Teacher Attachment Scale (Eliot & Mikulincer, 2006), Self-Handicapping Scale (Jones & Rhodewalt, 1982), and the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Bouffard et al., 1995). Descriptive statistical indices such as mean and standard deviation were used. In the inferential statistics section, structural equation modeling and Pearson correlation methods were employed using SPSS.22 and AMOS.22 software for data analysis.

The findings indicated a significant negative relationship between attachment to parents (β = -0.668, p < 0.01), attachment to peers (β = -0.256, p < 0.01), attachment to teachers (β = -0.051, p < 0.05), and students' academic self-handicapping. Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between attachment to parents (β = 0.318, p < 0.01), attachment to peers (β = 0.340, p < 0.01), attachment to teachers (β = 0.242, p < 0.01), and students' academic self-regulation. A significant negative relationship was also found between academic self-regulation and students' academic self-handicapping (β = -0.233, p < 0.01). Furthermore, significant negative relationships were observed between attachment to parents (β = -0.074, p < 0.01), attachment to peers (β = -0.079, p < 0.01), attachment to teachers (β = -0.057, p < 0.01), and students' academic self-handicapping.

Therefore, it was concluded that academic self-regulation significantly and negatively mediates the relationship between attachment to parents, peers, and teachers, and academic self-handicapping.

The present study aimed to investigate the structural effects of attachment styles on students' academic procrastination, mediated by psychological well-being. This research was performed by the descriptive correlation method. Using multi-stage, random, cluster sampling, 329 students (227 girls and 102 boys) were selected from all the high school students in Shahrekord during the academic year 2021-2022, and the Collins and Read Attachment Styles Questionnaire, Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale, and Solomon and Rothblum's Academic Procrastination Scale were completed. Based on the structural equation modeling, psychological well-being acts as a mediator of the influence of attachment styles on academic procrastination. Secure attachment leads to a reduction in academic procrastination by rising well-being, and contrarily, avoidant and anxious insecure attachment increases academic procrastination by decreasing well-being. These findings demonstrate how emotional connections affect mental health and help regulate teenage students’ behavior.

Adult participation in the learning and have motivation to learn are among the main elements of andragogy theory in adult education. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of investigating the necessity and how to employees’ participation in the pre-training processes in the andragogy model.

This study in terms of purpose was applied and in terms of implementation method was qualitative. The research population was the employees of Petrochemical Company of Asaluyeh Pardis of Bushehr province, which number of 15 people of its middle managers and experts were selected as a sample according to the principle of theoretical saturation with the purposive sampling method. The data were collected by semi-structured interview and analyzed by the method of coding based on grounded theory in MAXQDA version 18 software.

The findings showed that the employees’ participation in the pre-training processes in the andragogy model has 556 open codes in 8 categories including the current and continuousness of the needs assessment process, creativity of educational planning processes, attractiveness of pre-training activities, involvement and participation of learners in planning and compiling content, regular and continuous informing of training process, aligning the needs of learners with the needs of organization, educational planning based on the career development and collaborative organizational culture. Also, based on the grounded theory, the motivation to participate in learning were identified as a central category, the current and continuousness of the needs assessment process, educational planning based on the career development and involvement and participation of learners in planning and compiling content were identified as a causal category, the collaborative organizational culture, attractiveness of pre-training activities and creativity of educational planning processes were identified as a background category, the regular and continuous informing of training process were identified as a mediating category, the aligning the needs of learners with the needs of organization were identified as a strategy category and participation in training were identified as a consequence category.

According to the identified categories for employees’ participation in the pre-training processes in the andragogy model it is possible to provide the basis for improving employee.

 Human resources are the main asset of any organization. The optimal use of this valuable asset has increased the need to pay attention to this enormous capacity. One of the issues that can erode the human resources of organizations and make them ineffective is the occurrence of conflict in interpersonal relationships. Although conflict is a common thing within organizations, and of course, the library environment and the professional life of librarians are not except, an important issue that should be taken into account is that conflicts must be managed to have appropriate professional interactions. The ability to manage and resolve conflict is not simple, and to achieve it, people must have special personal and psychological characteristics, so that with the help of these characteristics, one can experience unfortunate events and emotions and at the same time be able to solve personal and social problems. In this context, one of the important psychological characteristics that have been raised and emphasized in the field of human resources in the last two decades is psychological capital. Psychological capital is a state of positive psychological development and consists of four positive psychological resources including hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. Existing studies show the role of psychological capital in improving occupational health components, reducing tensions, and the psychological well-being of employees. Such consequences bring to mind the possibility that psychological capital can be a determining component in the process of conflict management and resolution. Based on this, the purpose of the current research was to determine library employees' psychological capital and its relationship in predicting conflict resolution strategies in the form of two statistical models

This research is quantitative research with a correlational descriptive methodology with practical goals. The statistical population of the research consists of public library librarians of Semnan province, which consist of 140 people. Using simple random sampling, 89 librarians (61 female and 28 male with average age of 34.32 years old) were selected from this population. The psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ) and conflict resolution questionnaire (CRQ) were used to collect data. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics methods including binomial test and structural equation modeling (SEM) used in SPSS and Smart-PLS software were used.

The results of the binomial test showed that the proportion of people in the group with a higher score in self-efficacy (73.49), hope (83.33), resilience (75), and optimism (71.43) was more than the group with a lower score in these variables. Also, in the total score of psychological capital, the proportion of people in the group with higher scores (77.38) was higher. But in conflict resolution strategies and its components, it was also found that except for the three components of conflict as positive and natural, focusing on the future and creating a mutual benefit agreement in other components, the difference between the groups is significant. In fact, the scores of the librarians of both groups are close to each other in these three components and have a small gap with the expected ratio, but in other components, the difference between the groups is significant and the observed ratios are higher for the group with high scores. In the general variable of conflict resolution, the scores of the group with a high score (77.53) are significantly higher than the group with a lower score (22.47). In addition, in the test of research models using SEM, the validity and reliability of psychological capital and conflict resolution measurement models were evaluated and confirmed. Then, in the examination of structural relationships, it was found that psychological capital can positively and significantly predict conflict resolution and explains about 42% of the variance of conflict resolution strategies. Also, among the 10 components of conflict resolution, this variable is capable of predicting the components of conceiving conflict as positive and natural, creating an atmosphere and situation of conflict resolution, clarifying, and providing solutions and goals. The calculation of the fitness indexes of the research models also indicated the optimal fitness of the assumed model with the data.

According to the results, the level of psychological capital of employees is acceptable, but not high. Also, in most of the conflict resolution strategies, the score of the sample is at the average level or slightly above the average, and especially in the three conflict strategies is relatively weak. Therefore, in the context of increasing the level of psychological capital and improving employee conflict management strategies, library managers should prepare actions and interventions. Revealing the role of psychological capital in determining the appropriate solutions to resolve conflicts that arise for employees in the work environment can promise to solve the shortcomings in this field. Using the findings of this research, actions can be taken to solve interpersonal problems and improve relationships in the work environment with the help of employees' internal capabilities.

Academic self-disability is one of the less known strategies used to explain failure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of attachment to parents, peers and teachers in predicting academic self-handicapping of first secondary students.

This research was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the present study included all students (girls) of the first secondary level in Tehran in the academic year 2019-2020, which number was approximately 1840000, and 384 people were selected to determine the sample size using available sampling. The research tools included the academic self-handicapping scale, the revised list of attachment to parents and peers, and the scale of attachment to the teacher. In order to analyze the data, Pearson's correlation test and multiple linear regression were used.

The results have shown that there is a negative and significant relationship between attachment to parents, peers and teachers (acceptance and non-rejection) and self-disability (P<0.01). Also, the results of the regression analysis showed that attachment to parents and peers explain 0.56 percent of academic self-handicapping. attachment to teachers has no role in this prediction.

It can be concluded that attachment to parents and peers played a role in predicting students' academic self-handicapping, but attachment to teachers has no effect on it

Depression and anxiety are common in children and a major cause of many illnesses and disabilities in this age group; Moreover, parents have the greatest impact on shaping the mental health and well-being of their children and there is a vast literature describing the importance of parenting factors in the development of depression and anxiety in children. 

We used the experimental research design in this study. The sample consisted of 34 children with depression and anxiety who were randomly allocated into ACT on parenting (intervention) and control groups via the randomization method. The intervention group received eight 2-h sessions weekly. The revised child anxiety and depression scale, parent short versions and the self-compassion scale were administered in both groups. The analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and the repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to determine the difference between the intervention and control groups on depression, anxiety, and self-compassion. 

ANCOVA and repeated measures ANOVA results showed clinically significant changes in depression and anxiety in children and self-compassion in parents in the intervention group (P<0.001). The Mean±SD of depression in the intervention group was 16.50±0.89 at baseline, which significantly decreased to 2.94±3.27 at post-measure and 2.25±3.35 at follow-up (P<0.001). The Mean±SD of anxiety was 18.19±1.87, which significantly decreased to 7.63±4.34 at post-measure and 7.06±4.52 at follow-up (P<0.001). Additionally, the mean and SD score of self-compassion was 56.43±3.14 in pre-intervention, which significantly improved to 97.18±3.72 in post-intervention and 98.25±4.76 at follow-up (P<0.001).

The results show that ACT-based parenting is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety in children. This method also improves self-compassion in parents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of mindfulness practice along with music on working memory and cognitive flexibility of children with learning disorders. This applied research was an experimental study that was done in the form of pre-test and post-test with a control group. In this study, 30 primary school students with learning disorders in the Khorshid psychological center of Shahrood in the academic year of 1399-1400 were selected by simple random sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 subjects) and control group (15subjects). The subjects in the experimental group involved in mindfulness intervention sessions along with quiet music in 8 sessions for 2 hours and the control group did not receive any interventions. The study instruments consisted of the Working Memory Questionnaire of Hafbak and the Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire. To analyze the obtained data, multivariate and univariate covariance analysis was used. The results demonstrated that mindfulness practice along with music have an effect on working memory and cognitive flexibility of children with learning disorders (P <0.001). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that one of the effective practices on working memory and cognitive flexibility of children with learning disorders is the use of mindfulness along with music.

In recent years, the smartphones addiction has become a relatively common phenomenon among adolescent users. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of smartphone addiction in the mental health of adolescent girls and boys.This study was performed by a causal comparative research method. The statistical population of this study was all second-grade high school students in the Mahdishahr city of Semnan. In this study, 211 students, were selected by cluster sampling from the research population. The measurement tool included the smartphone addiction inventory-short form (SPAI-SF). This tool was used to screen addicted people from non-addicts. The subjects' mental health level was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (G.H.Q). Data were analyzed using factorial MANOVA. The results indicated non-significance of, interactive effect and significance of the main effects of two variables of smartphone addiction and gender on student mental health. The general score of mental health and physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression was lower among smartphone-addicted students than that of normal students. It was also found that the general score of mental health and physical symptoms and anxiety of female students was lower than that of male students. This result shows the harmful effects of smartphone addiction on reducing the physical and psychological health of adolescent users. Therefore, taking action to prevent smartphone addiction can prevent further physical and psychological harm to users.

Assessing and understanding the educational status of students in the context of online education is important in the educational psychology field. Students may show different approaches to learning in different educational settings (online, in person). In this study, students' learning approaches (deep and superficial) in online education were examined based on perceived learning environment and academic emotions.

The current research is a descriptive-correlational type of research using structural equations. For this purpose, the Perception of Learning Environment (Roff et al., 2001) and the Two-Factor Revised Learning Approaches Questionnaire (Mokhtar et al., 2010) were distributed among 223 students from the University of Science Lorestan medicine. Structural equivalence method with AMOS software was used to analyze the research data.

The results showed that the dimensions of the online learning environment predict the learning approaches, positive and negative academic emotions of students (P<0.001). Findings also showed that the dimensions of the learning environment have a significant effect on deep and superficial approaches due to positive and negative emotions (P<0.001).

It can be concluded that students' learning approaches in cyberspace along with accurate and specialized planning can have the desired result.

Experiencing negative sexual emotions can have devastating effects on sexual responses and threaten people's communication health. Therefore, the aim of this study is to prepare the sexual boredom scale to measure the part of the negative sexual feelings.

The present study method is a descriptive survey. The statistical population included all Men and Women referring to counseling centers affiliated with the Mashhad Family Court, of which 245 people (157 women and 88 men) were selected by available sampling method and answered the questionnaires of Hulbert’s sexual desire index, boredom proneness scale and sexual boredom scale. The psychometric properties of the sexual boredom scale were analyzed through the analysis of the principal component analysis, Pearson correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient in spss software.

Using the factor analysis test, three underlying factors (sexual variety seeking, monotony and Stimulation Seeking) of sexual boredom scale were extracted. In the convergent and divergent validity test, the overall score of sexual boredom and the two dimensions of variety seeking and monotony were positively correlated with boredom proneness and negatively correlated with sexual desire. Also, sexual stimulation seeking was negatively correlated with boredom proneness. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score of the sexual boredom scale was 0.79 and for its dimensions was 0.68 to 0.82.

The findings indicate structural validity and acceptable reliability of the sexual boredom scale, and the multidimensional structure of this scale can help couples therapists to better diagnose, intervene, and understand the sexual and communication problems.

 Boredom is one of the achievement related emotions which is frequently experienced by students in academic contexts (Daschmann, Goetz & Stupnisky, 2011; Nett, Goetz & Hall, 2011) and may concern achievement activities, such as class attendance, study, and task or homework completion (Pekrun et al, 2004). It is a negative and deactivating emotion (Vogel-Walcutt, Fiorella, Carper & Schatz, 2012), involving an unpleasant feeling (affective), low-arousal (physiological), a desire to leave the boring situation (motivational), and a perception of slowness in time (cognitive) (Pekrun, 2006). Socialcognitive theorists assume that boredom negatively affect motivation, activating cognitive resources, self-regulation and achievement outcomes (Pekrun, Goetz, Daniels, and Stupnisky, Perry, 2010). Empirical evidence has revealed that this achievement emotion has detrimental effects on the students’ engagement in class and on their learning (Mann and Robinson, 2009; Tze, Klassen & Daniels, 2014), and is associated with Low academic performance (Pekrun and etal, 2010), school dropout (Wegner, Flisher, Chikobvu, Lombard, & King, 2008) and adolescence delinquency (Newberry & Duncan, 2001). Considering negative effects of boredom, educational scholars are studying and identifying antecedents of academic boredom (Daniels, Tze, and Goetz, 2015). Overall, researchers have pointed to three different categories of causes of boredom, including environment, person, and person-environment fit (Nett, Goetz & Daniels, 2010; Goetz and Hall, 2014). According to Robinson (1975), learning environment is an immediate and important environmental element for the student's academic boredom. Numerous studies have focused on the role of different aspects of the learning environment in determining the boredom experiences of learners (see Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, and Perry, 2002; Bartsch & Cobern, 2003; Fallis & Optotow, 2003; Glaser-Zikuda & Fub, 2008). Furthermore, the subjective value of academic activities has been known as a main personal cause of boredom (Pekrun and etal, 2010). Subjective value is a cognitive appraisal, which includes perceiving the importance of achievement-related tasks, activities and outcomes. Social cognitive theorists hold that cognitive appraisals have a mediational role in the relationship between environmental factors and achievement emotions. On such a basis and using a causal model, this study was aimed to investigate the role of learning environment elements and subjective value dimensions in determining the students' academic boredom. A correlational research design was used to test the research hypotheses. Participants were 718 high school students (380 females and 338 males) who were selected from Shiraz high schools via multi stage cluster sampling method. The data was collected, administering three questionnaires including What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC), Task Value scale, and Learning and class-related Boredom Scales. The proposed Model was tested using structural equation modeling in AMOS software. The results showed that task orientation as a dimension of perceived learning environment could directly and positively predict attainment, and the intrinsic and utility dimensions of task value. Teacher support and involvement, as the other dimensions of the learning environment were positive predictors of the intrinsic and utility dimensions of task value. Student cohesiveness positively predicted attainment value and negatively predicted intrinsic value. Moreover, utility was found to have a direct positive effect on attainment value. Examining the indirect effects revealed that intrinsic value can mediate the relationship of student cohesiveness, task orientation, investigation, and teacher support as the elements of the learning environment with academic boredom. The proposed model's fitness to observations was desirable. The present study showed that some environmental factors can explain academic boredom with the mediating role of interest value. This entails a confirmation for the assumptions of Pekrun's theory on achievement emotions (2006). On the other hand, adopting a multidimensional approach to value construct as the most important cognitive factor associated with boredom, lead to a new and different finding that revealed new angles for the knowledge of academic boredom. Such a new approach can be considered in the process of reducing the student's boredom. Additionally, the simultaneous examination of several environmental factors led to the clarification of the most influential components of classroom. That is, the role of task orientation, teacher support and research as the most important inhibitors of academic boredom can be considered, in terms of planning and taking action to increase interest value and reduce academic boredom. Particularly, the obvious contribution of the teacher in these three factors is clear and promising. Therefore, it is suggested for the teachers to set up their class schedules based on task orientation and research elements of the learning environment if they want to improve the beliefs of task value and reduce academic boredom in their students. It is also recommended that teachers support students and more effectively meet their individual needs. The negative role of student cohesiveness in decreasing the amount of interest value and increasing academic boredom clarifies the both the positive and negative effects of peers. So, in order to prevent academic boredom and improve the attainment of schooling values, it is recommended for the educational planners and practitioners to form classrooms with a standard number of members. In this way, factors affecting the students' inattention and uninterest are reduced and as a result, their interest in the lesson is not damaged and they don't get bored. In addition, teachers through student grouping can get benefit from student cohesiveness in meeting class goals and in enhancing the different aspects of value of schooling. It should be noted that these findings are limited to the students of the tenth and eleventh grades of Science and Mathematics. Therefore, generalization of the findings to other situations and other students must be made with caution. Accordingly, it is recommended that other researchers examine the hypothesized model of this study with other groups of students.