پژوهش نامه روانشناسی اسلامی
سال هفتم شماره 15 (پاییز و زمستان 1400)

Among the important topics in psychology, determining abnormality criteria is noticeable and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) book is one the most important basis that recommends criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. This study aimed to comparatively investigate abnormality criteria in the Holy Koran and the DSM. The research method is descriptive along with comparative method of Bereday. The findings showed there were five criteria in the DSM for mental disorders: deviance from cultural expectations; behavioral-psychological-biological disturbance; inflexibility; lack of control; and noticeable clinical disturbance. Also, the findings revealed five criteria for abnormality in the Holy Koran: indulgence; incoherence; unconventionality; irrationality; and being far from Fetrat. Comparison of these criteria showed that deviance from cultural expectations and behavioral-psychological-biological disturbance respectively overlap with unconventionality and incoherence. The three criteria, inflexibility, lack of control, and noticeable clinical disturbance may be due to irrationality. And being far from Fetrat may be linked to all of the DSM criteria. All disorders, expect the ones that are inborn or biological, may be due to being far from Fetrat.

Moral education in individual and social domains is of importance today because saving societies from such crises as family dysfunction, suicide, and mental disorders is due to ethics and to reach to a moral society we need to develop moral people as fundamental units of society. The human evolution with the goal of being to near God will not be gained without moral education. Since the existing approaches are one-dimensional and not appropriate to Islamic culture of Iran the current research using content analysis seeks to explain factors and practices of moral education from the viewpoint of Morteza Motahhari to apply in counseling. Research findings showed that the goal of moral education is developing human being whose inner gifts (intellectual, religious, ethical, aesthetic) are developed soundly. A balanced human’s wisdom overcomes his ignorance, his chastity overcomes his lust, and his bravery overcomes his fears. In order to gain this goal, individual (moral insight, sentiment, and behavior), background (marriage, work, and Jehad), and environmental (improving familial affective setting, being a role modeling, accepting others role modeling) factors are in effect and developing intellectual gifts, self-awareness, self-regard, and making habits could be used.

Growing attention to culture in producing science of psychology in Iran and psychology education to Iranians requires a culture-sensitive curriculum planning. Curriculum of the undergraduate psychology major in Iran (approved in 2012) is an important educational document and its designers paid particular attention to culture. However, 10 years after approval of this curriculum it seems to need revision. The current research, using quantitative content analysis, aims to investigate Islamic-cultural components of above-mentioned curriculum. The results showed that, even though a “cultural psychology” course is missing in this curriculum, it contains three cultural courses based on Islamic teachings and Muslim scholars. About half of the total 69 courses of this curriculum (including core, required, and optional courses) contain at least one cultural-Islamic component. Though, in many cases attention to culture and Islam is limited to putting the words culture and Islam in the document. In addition, name of Iranian theorists and their theories, psychometric tools designed by Iranians, and so forth is lacking in a curriculum that intended to indigenize. Revision in above-mentioned curriculum which is far more than a mere curriculum but an educational document in the discipline of psychology, not only requires adding a cultural psychology course but also attention to true content of cultural psychology in rest of the courses and the entire curriculum.

Optimism, in positive psychology studies, as a determining factor in mental health has been always significant. This study, using descriptive-analytical methods, aimed to investigate the role of optimism in psychological well-being according to Islamic teachings and psychological studies. Results showed that Islamic texts, by presenting mechanism to build and strengthen optimism and by insisting on positive influences of optimism and warning against unpleasant outcomes of cynicism, lead people to psychological well-being. The results of contemporary psychological studies to confirm the role of optimism in dimensions and components of psychological well-being but there are differences in the definition, scope, and some details among these two fields of study.

This study aimed to investigate the relation of religious wisdom to positive and negative pudency among female and male seminaries of Qom. In doing so, 400 seminaries aged from 18 to 38 were selected. Research tools were wisdom and pudency scales. Data were analyzed using correlation coefficient and t-test. Results showed that wisdom and pudency were correlated among female and male seminaries of Qom. Also, men scored higher than women in wisdom scale. Women on the other hand reported lower levels of positive pudency but there was not any difference between the sexes in negative pudency.

Prayer is of the highest worships and is the prerequisite for other worships being accepted by God. Mindfulness while worshiping is required for all worships being perfect. The current research aimed to identify religious and psychological processes of mindfulness in prayer according to Islamic sources using descriptive-analytical method. Data were gathered using bibliographical method and then analyzed by categorizing. First, 21 ways were identified for mindfulness according to Islamic sources and psychology; these 21 ways then categorized and reduced to 7 ways. Results showed that according to Islamic sources processes of mindfulness in prayer are: constant remembrance of God; strengthening faith; avoidance from vices; and doing prayer in the best manner. In addition, according to psychological sources the psychological processes of mindfulness in prayer are: strengthening cognition and mindfulness regarding God and the truth; to change the life style; and understanding the psychological aspect of prayer.