Comparison of Affective Theory of Mind, Moral Judgment, Working Memory, and Cognitive Flexibility in Individuals with Substance Use and Normal Individuals

The present study was conducted to compare the affective theory of mind, moral judgment, working memory, and cognitive flexibility in individuals with substance use and normal individuals.

The method of the present study was causal-comparative. The statistical population of the study included all men who referred to addiction treatment centers in Tabriz in 2019 as well as normal individuals among the residents of Tabriz. The study sample consisted of 160 men (80 substance users and 80 normal individuals) who were selected by purposive sampling. Research tools included the mind in the eyes test, the personal and impersonal moral stories scale, the working memory test, and the cognitive flexibility inventory.

The results showed that there were significant differences between substance users and normal individuals in the affective theory of mind, moral judgment, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, so that individuals in the normal group scored higher than those in the substance user group.

It seems that malfunctions in the components of the affective theory of mind, moral judgment, working memory, and cognitive flexibility in individuals with substance use disorders cause defects in the process of social cognition and their vulnerability in decision-making, and their interactions with society and individuals.