differentiation

This study aimed to predict borderline personality disorder based on the components of cognitive emotion regulation, acceptance and action, and cognitive fusion, with the mediating role of self-differentiation in students of Sanandaj Islamic Azad University. This correlational study selected a sample of 200 students from Sanandaj Islamic Azad University using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Borderline Personality Disorder Questionnaire, Garnefski's Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Bond's Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Gillanders' Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, and Skowron's Self-Differentiation Questionnaire. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the questionnaires were distributed both in print (30 participants) and electronically (170 participants). Data analysis was conducted using correlation methods, structural equations, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha with SPSS20, LISREL8, and AMOS8 software. The findings showed significant relationships between acceptance and action, self-differentiation, cognitive emotion regulation, and cognitive fusion with borderline personality disorder. Acceptance and action, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and cognitive fusion, mediated by self-differentiation, could predict borderline personality disorder. The results indicate interconnected psychological damages where cognitive emotion regulation and cognitive fusion, with the help of self-differentiation, challenge borderline personality disorder. Therefore, in predicting the factors of borderline personality disorders, special attention should be given to the variables of cognitive emotion regulation, acceptance and action, cognitive fusion, and self-differentiation.

Students with high differentiation and the ability to manage and regulate emotions individually by applying appropriate achievement goals can have higher academic self-concept and this increases their motivation for future learning. Therefore, determining the relationship between differentiation and emotional regulation with the goals of academic achievement and self-concept is a fundamental necessity to adapt the students' curriculum.

This study aimed to develop a structural model of academic self-concept based on emotional regulation and differentiation mediated by achievement goals in students.

The research method is descriptive-correlational path analysis. The statistical population of this study consisted of all high school students in Sabzevar city in the academic year 2023. The sample consisted of 327 high school students in Sabzevar city who were selected by convenience sampling method and answered the Chen and Thompson Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire Chen, & Thompson (2004), Emotion Regulation Strategies Garnefski et al (2001), Differentiation Drake (2011) and Midgley and et al (1998) Achievement Goals Questionnaire. To evaluate the proposed model, path analysis using Smart PLS. 3 and SPSS 26 were used.

The results of the correlation coefficient showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the goals of achievement, differentiation, and emotional regulation with students' academic self-concept (P< 0.001). The findings indicate that the proposed model is appropriately fit with the data. The results of path analysis showed that 78% of the variance of achievement goals and 67% of the variance of academic self-concept are explained by academic self-concept, emotional regulation, differentiation, and achievement goals.

The results of the present study showed that in general, differentiation and emotional regulation can be good predictors of academic self-concept through achievement goals, and academic self-concept can be increased by using ways to increase the scores of achievement goals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between parent-child relationship and quality of relationship with parents with identity crisis in adolescent girls of Isfahan city, taking into account mediating role of interpersonal problems, differentiation and self-esteem. The method was descriptive research of correlational type and statistical population included all teenage female students of Isfahan city, from which 300 people were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. After removing incomplete questionnaires, analysis was done on 254 questionnaires. Data were collected through questionnaires on identity crisis, parent-child relationships, and quality of relationships with parents, self-esteem, interpersonal problems, and differentiation. Descriptive indices and structural equation analysis were used to analyze data. The results showed that quality of relationship with parents and parent-child relationship is directly and indirectly related to identity crisis through self-esteem (p<0/05), but quality of relationship with parents and parent-child relationship has no significant relationship with identity crisis through interpersonal problems and differentiation (p>0/05). Findings of present study showed that in order to prevent identity crisis in teenagers, it is necessary to emphasize importance of improving self-esteem in them, especially through parent training in order to improve quality of relationship with parents and parent-child relationship.

 The aim of this research was to present a model for predicting self-efficacy based on early maladaptive schemas, coping strategies, and differentiation with the mediation of meaning in life in remarried couples.

Methods and Materials: 

This study is fundamental-applied in terms of its goal, and the present research is descriptive, correlational, congruent, and predictive in nature. The statistical population of this research consisted of all remarried couples who visited counseling centers in District 3 of Tehran. The sampling method in this study was voluntary and accessible. The sample size was determined to be at least 400 individuals, based on the Cochran formula, the type of research, the logic of regression analysis, and considering the phenomenon of attrition. The sampling was done using a voluntary and accessible method. To analyze the obtained data, multipurpose regression tests and path analysis were performed using SPSS software version 24.

 The results showed that emotion-focused coping strategies indirectly influence self-efficacy with the mediation of meaning in life in remarried couples. Likewise, problem-focused coping strategies indirectly influence self-efficacy with the mediation of meaning in life in remarried couples. Additionally, the results indicated that differentiation indirectly influences self-efficacy with the mediation of meaning in life in remarried couples.

 Therefore, it can be concluded that self-efficacy can be predicted by early maladaptive schemas, coping strategies, and differentiation with the mediating role of meaning in life in remarried couples.

The aim of this study was the effectiveness of systematic differentiation training based on systemic family therapy on marital boredom and communication patterns of women referring to counseling centers in Najafabad in 1399. The research method was quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test. The statistical population of the study was all women referred to counseling centers in Najafabad. The sampling method used in this study was purposeful available sampling method that finally 30 people were selected. 15 people in the experimental group and 15 people in the control group were randomly assigned. The tools used for data collection included the Marital Boredom Questionnaire (Pines 1996), the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (Christensen and Salawi 1984) and the Differentiation Therapy Training Package (based on Bowen's system theory). Data analysis was performed using 24SPSS software at two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics. At the inferential level, analysis of covariance was used. The results of analysis of covariance showed that systematic differentiation training based on systemic family therapy has an effect on marital boredom (P <0.05). Also, the results of analysis of covariance showed that systematic differentiation training based on systemic family therapy has an effect on communication patterns among women referred to counseling centers in city Najafabad (P <0.05).

Considering the negative effects of emotional divorce on the health of couples and family members, the objective of the present study was to examine the causal relationships of differentiation, Latent communication aggression, and emotional divorce in conflicting women with the mediating role of marital conflict. The research method was descriptive and correlational using structural equation modeling approach (SEM). The statistical population included women who were referred to Welfare Counseling centers in Khalkhal in 2023. From among them, 200 women were selected using the convenience sampling method. They filled out Gottman’s Emotional Divorce Scale (EDS), Skowron and Schmitt’s Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI), Nelson and Carroll’s Latent Communication Aggression Scale (CRAS), and Barati’s Marital Conflict Scale (MCS). The results showed that differentiation had a direct and negative effect on marital conflict, and latent communicative aggression had a direct and positive effect on marital conflict (p < 0.01). Moreover, differentiation and latent communicative aggression had an indirect effect on emotional divorce with the mediating role of marital conflict (p < 0.01). According to the findings, both differentiation and latent communication aggression played an important role in the emotional divorce rate of conflicting women directly and indirectly (through changes in marital conflict). Therefore, therapists, especially in the field of couples therapy, can use the findings of this research study to reduce emotional divorce in couples.

Most spouses in marital life use different communication patterns in interactions with family members, depending on their personality structure. The presence of dysfunctional communication patterns and underdeveloped personalities can cause destructive effects in relationships and lead to a lack of differentiation in children. This study aims to provide a model for predicting children's differentiation based on communication patterns and personality structure with the mediation of dysfunctional attitudes in parents attending counseling centers in Tehran.

Methods and Materials: 

Considering the indices and objectives of the research, the study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this research included all parents attending counseling centers in Tehran during 2021-2022. In this research, the sampling method was multi-stage random sampling, and the sample size was determined to be 350 people based on the Sample Power software. Data collection was carried out using the Differentiation Inventory by Skowron and Friedlander (1998), the Couples' Communication Patterns Questionnaire by Christensen and Sullaway (1991), the NEO Personality Inventory by McCrae and Costa (1985), and the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale by Weissman and Beck (1978) on the selected sample. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and SmartPLS structural equation modeling.

The findings of this study indicated that the proposed model for predicting children's differentiation based on communication patterns and personality structure with the mediation of dysfunctional attitudes in parents attending counseling centers in Tehran had a good fit. Examination of the results based on the direct path showed a significant relationship between the components of communication patterns, personality structure, and dysfunctional attitudes with children's differentiation. The results of the indirect path also showed a significant relationship between the components of communication patterns, personality structure, with the partial mediation role of dysfunctional attitudes and children's differentiation.

The findings suggest that understanding the communication patterns and personality structure of each parent based on the mutual understanding of children's needs can predict the level of children's differentiation based on dysfunctional attitudes within the context of family relationships and interpersonal interactions.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of the indigenous package based on ancient Persian literature on forgiveness on the differentiation and emotional safety of adolescents attempting suicide. One of the social problems of today's societies is suicide, which worries the family, society, and statesmen. Based on this, much research has been conducted by researchers in the fields of psychology, social sciences, and mental health because the statistics published by the World Health Organization and the health organizations of the countries are very worrying and show an increase in suicide among young people.
 
The research method was quasi-experimental, with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population included all adolescents in the age group of 16 to 18 years who attempted suicide in Isfahan, and the sample size included 30 people, 15 of whom were randomly selected in the experimental group and 15 in the control group and selected by the available sampling method. An indigenous package based on ancient Persian literature of forgiveness (based on poems by Ferdowsi, Nezami, Khayyam, Molavi, Saadi and Roudaki) was implemented for adolescents who attempted suicide in the experimental group (in 8 sessions). Measurement tools included the 13-item Emotional Safety Questionnaire of Casey Family Service Center (2007) and the 46-item Differentiation Questionnaire of Skowron (2000). For data analysis, a covariance analysis test with repeated measures was used.
The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of differentiation post-test and emotional safety of adolescents attempting suicide in the experimental and control groups. In explaining the findings of the research, it can be said that in the poem there are emotions and emotions such as sadness, happiness, anxiety, hope, despair, nostalgia, and surprise, which arise from the mental and mental states of the poet, and the poet tries to convey them to the audience as they are and based on the theory of the emotional-emotional life of the Eastern man, which defines the emotional-emotional states of each person as a result of his emotional-emotional education and considers it necessary to know his own emotions and emotions. In the noble Persian poetry and ancient literature, these emotional-emotional aspects are well taken into consideration and easily affect the emotional-emotional characteristics of the audience. The attention of poets of ancient Persian literature, such as Ferdowsi, Nizami, Khayyam, Molavi, Saadi and Rudaki, to the emotional-emotional components of human beings has caused them to choose a specific model for the emotional aesthetics of their poems.
 
In the therapeutic atmosphere of a non-threatening atmosphere, along with unconditional positive attention to express the feelings of anger and resentment of others, the researcher has provided an opportunity for the teenager to complete the incomplete gestalts. Unhealed emotions were released, and the adolescent's psychological defenses were broken. Therefore, the adolescents of the experimental group were able to find out that revenge and malice are useless, and this was the beginning of their cognitive processing of the incident. During this cognitive processing, they were able to review their role in the loss of this relationship, to be guided from only paying attention to the mistakes and weaknesses of others, and to face the essence of their existence. Become the main ones who make mistakes and, at the same time, are valuable with a feeling of shame and guilt, thus they can live more calmly, and by maintaining their mental health, they  have a greater sense of emotional safety.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of personality-systemic couple therapy on self-differentiation and sexual dysfunction of married women. The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population was the married women of Tehran city in 1402, based on the entry and exit criteria, 40 women were selected by purposeful sampling and 20 women were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group. Self-differentiation questionnaire (DSI-R, Skorn and Smith, 2003) and Women's Sexual Performance Index (FSFI, Rosen et al., 2000) were used to collect data. The data analysis was done with the statistical method of multivariate covariance analysis. The results showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there was a significant difference (P<0.01) between the mean of self-differentiation and post-test sexual dysfunctions of the experimental and control groups. Personality-system couple therapy increases self-differentiation and sexual functioning in married women.

The purpose of this research is to determine the moderating role of differentiation and marital empathy in the relationships between the quality of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (QMDLR) and the quality of the marital relationships in married women of Ahvaz City. This descriptive research is correlation type. The research targeted married women aged 20 to 50 in Ahvaz who had been married for at least one year. A sample of 210 women was selected by convenience sampling. The participants completed the differentiation scale (DSI_R), quality of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship scale (QMDRS), marital empathy scale (BEA) and marital relationships quality scale (MMQ). The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression using SPSS software (version 22). The results showed that there is a positive relationship between the QMDLR and the quality of the marital relationships. The results of regression analysis showed that marital empathy moderates the relationships between QMDLR and quality of the marital relationships, but differentiation does not moderate the relationships between QMDLR and quality of the marital relationships. The results of the research show that marital empathy in the QMDLR is an effective factor that improves the quality of the marital relationships and reduces conflicts, despite the influence of various variables.

The aim of this study was to developing a combined therapy package of Bowen's approach and narrative therapy based on family relationships and investigating its effectiveness on the differentiation of conflicted couples. The method of qualitative research in the study section was Bowen's approach and narrative therapy, theme analysis, and grounded theory in the section related to family relations of conflicted couples. The research method in the quantitative part was semi-experimental with a three-stage design (pre-test-post-test and follow-up) and two groups (experimental group and control group) with a two-month follow-up period. The qualitative statistical population of the research included books, articles and theses in the field of Bowen's approach and narrative therapy, as well as experts in the field of family counseling, who examined the validity of the integrated package of Bowen's therapy and narrative therapy. The statistical population of the quantitative part also included conflicted couples who referred to counseling centers in East Tehran in the spring quarter of 2022. The samples in the qualitative part included 31 articles and books in the field of Boen's approach and narrative therapy, 8 conflicting couples, as well as 15 experts in the field of family counseling, who were selected purposefully. The sample in the quantitative part of the research included 25 conflicting couples who were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The results showed that, this treatment package had an effect on the differentiation of conflicting couples.

This research was conducted with the aim of modeling the structural equations of eating attitude based on self-differentiation, emotional reactivity and negative urgency with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty in girls.

The method of conducting the research was correlational and structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research included all young girls, of which 284 were selected by cluster sampling. The research tools include the Garner and Garfinkel (1979) eating attitude test, the short form of the Drake, Murdock, Marszalek and Barber (2015) differentiation inventory, Lynham and Miller (2004) impulsive behavior scale, Watson, Clark, and Tellgen's positive and negative affect scale. (1988) and the emotion regulation difficulty scale was Gratz and Roemer (2004). To collect data, descriptive and inferential statistics and structural equations were used using SPSS26 and AMOS24 software. Bootstrap method was used in MACRO program to analyze mediating relationships.

The findings showed that the relationship between the structural model of eating attitude based on self-differentiation, emotional reactivity (positive and negative emotional) and negative urgency with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty has a good fit (P<0.001). Differentiation relationship with negative and inverse eating attitude, relationship between emotion regulation difficulty and direct and positive eating attitude has been estimated (P<0.001). Also, positive emotional reactivity had a negative and inverse relationship with eating attitude (P<0.001).

The findings of this study emphasize the effective role of differentiation, emotion regulation and emotional reactivity in the attitude of eating disorders in girls. Therefore, the necessary training to regulate and control emotions should be done in this important segment of the society, in order to prevent the complications and consequences of disordered eating attitude, which is eating disorders.

The aim of the present research is to examine the predictive model of family cohesion based on differentiation and attitude towards love: the mediating role of marital intimacy in married women. The research is descriptive-correlational, employing structural equation modeling. The study population consisted of all married women in the city of Isfahan who had been married for at least three years and were currently living with their spouses. A total of 225 individuals were selected as the sample using voluntary sampling. The data collection tools included the Fisher Family Cohesion Scale (Fisher et al., 1992), the Skowron and Smith Self-Differentiation Questionnaire (2003), the Hendrix and Hendrix Love Attitude Scale (1997), and the Thompson and Walker Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (1983), all of which have been validated. To achieve the objectives of the present research, initially, a descriptive analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaires was conducted. Subsequently, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to reduce the independent variables. The results of the data analysis indicated that the second to fifth hypotheses of the research regarding the relationships between the study variables were confirmed. Based on these relationships, in total, 88% of the variations in the dependent variable (family cohesion) were predicted by the variables of the final model. Furthermore, according to the final model obtained from structural equation modeling, the independent variables of attitude towards love, marital intimacy, and differentiation had a direct impact on the family cohesion of married women.

This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback on the Psychological distress condition of people with low differentiation. The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test & post-test design and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the research included students of higher education centers and institutions studying in Bojnourd city in 2019-2020. Among the target population, five were selected by random sampling method. Then, among the students of these centers, 20 students who scored a standard deviation lower than the average in their Drake of differentiation initial screening test (2011) were selected by purposive sampling and were placed in an experimental group (N=10) and a control group (N=10) by random replacement. the experimental group received nine 60-minute sessions of Bowen's system therapy along with fifteen -20-minute neurofeedback treatment sessions. The Symptom Check List – 90- Revised Questionnaire (scl90-r) Derogatis et al (1976) was used to collect data. Data were analyzed with the method of analysis of variance with repeated measures. The results showed that the psychological distress scores and all their subscales decreased in the experimental group, and this decrease was stable in the follow-up phase (p<0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the Combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback was effective in improving the condition of psychological distress in people with low differentiation.

The health of the family depends on the continuity and health of the couple's relationship, and this relationship is the central core of the family system. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between self-differentiation and marital conflict resolution styles with the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in married women in Isfahan City. For this research, descriptive-correlation method of structural equation modeling was used. The statistical population included marr-ied women in Isfahan City in 2022, and 200 married women were selected using the available sampling method. The data collection tools included the standard questionnaire of conflict resolution styles (Rahim, 1983), the self-differentiation questionnaire (Skowron & Friedlander, 1998) and the cognitive regulation of emotion questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2002). In order to analyze the data, structural equation modeling method with path analysis approach was used by spss26 software and bootstrap method was used in Amos24 program to analyze mediated relationships. The findings sho-wed that there is a significant relationship between self-differentiation and cognitive emotion regulation strategies, between self-differentiation and marital conflict resolution styles, and between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and marital conflict resolution styles in married wo-men (p<0.001). Finally, adaptive and mal-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies had a mediating role in the relationship between self-discovery diff-erentiation and marital conflict resolution styles in married women (p<0.001). In sum, the findings of this research showed that differentiated people who use adap-tive emotion regulation in marital conflicts are able to adequately control these emo-tions and reduce marital conflicts when faced with difficult emotional experiences.

The emotional component of the relationship between parents and children plays an important role in the formation of problematic behaviors in children and adolescents and their mental health in general. The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the causal model of parental meta-emotional philosophy based on emotional self-awareness, differentiation and existential anxiety. The study method was descriptive-correlation and structural equation model analysis. The statistical population included all the parents of Kermanshah city. A total of 201 parents were selected using the accessible method. The data collection tools were the Parental meta-emotion philosophy Scale, the Emotional Self-Awareness Scale, the Self-Differentiation Inventory - Short Form, and the Existential Concerns Questionnaire (Van Brugen et al., 2017). The validity of the tools was measured by using content validity in a qualitative method and reliability by internal consistency by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and AMOS 21 software. The results showed that the direct paths of existential anxiety to meta-emotional philosophy; Differentiation to emotional self-awareness; and emotional self-awareness to meta-emotional philosophy, as well as the indirect path of differentiation to parental meta-emotional philosophy with the mediating role of emotional self-awareness is positive and significant. In other words, the results showed that parents who have higher differentiation have more emotional self-awareness and are more in emotion coaching in meta-emotional philosophy. This finding can be used in theoretical models related to the determinants of parent's emotion coaching or in psychological interventions to help parents to increase their emotion coaching.

 This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of integrated systemic couple therapy on differentiation and marital disillusionment in couples affected by extramarital relationships. 

 The study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages, along with a control group. The statistical population consisted of women affected by extramarital relationships who sought counseling in Babol city centers during the first nine months of 2019. Thirty individuals were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into two groups of fifteen for the experimental and control groups, respectively. The experimental group underwent Feldman's (1990) integrated systemic couple therapy protocol in twelve 90-minute group sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. Data were collected using the Pines' (1996) Marital Boredom Scale and the Skowron and Friedlander (1989) Differentiation of Self Inventory. Data were analyzed using repeated measures tests. 

 Results indicated that integrated systemic couple therapy had a significant effect on differentiation (F = 30.01, p < 0.001) and marital disillusionment (F = 78.86, p < 0.001) in women affected by extramarital relationships at the post-test stage. Additionally, the effectiveness of integrated systemic couple therapy on differentiation and marital disillusionment was sustained at the follow-up stage (p < 0.05). 

 Given the findings, this research suggests that group-based integrated systemic couple therapy can aid in improving differentiation and marital disillusionment in women affected by extramarital relationships.