Structural Relationship of Cognitive Ability and Social Problem Solving with Attention Mediated by Self-Discrepancy

 This study examined the mediating effect of self-balance on the structural relationship between cognitive ability and social problem solving with attention.

Research method was descriptive and correlational. Subjects were 308 participants (188 female and 114 male) selected by available sampling among aircrew of Iran Air company. To collect data, the following questionnaires were used:Nejati’s Cognitive Abilities Questionnaire, Hardin’s Integrated Self-Discrepancy Index (ISDI) and Social Problem Solving Inventory-revised short-form by D’Zurilla, and Nezu.

The results revealed that all the subscales of cognitive ability are correlated negatively with the components of adaptive problem solving and are positively related with the non-adaptive problem solving, with the significant level of 0.01. Also the four sub scales of Self-Discrepancy were related positively with adaptive problem solving and negatively with the non-adaptive problem solving and are correlated significantly on the level of 0.01.

Due to the increasing evolution and complexity of the cognitive processes of the human brain, further studies are needed to enhance the relationships among personality, problem solving and cognitive abilities. Therefore effective programs are suggested for cognitive enhancement of employees in critical jobs like aircrew.