International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume:6 Issue: 2, 2012

This study was conducted to determine the relationships of spirituality, resiliency, and coping strategies with quality of life, and to determine their predicting power in university students’ quality of life. The statistical population was Razi University students. The samples (N=375) were selected by classified random method for this population. The information collection tools were Ghobari’s Spirituality Experience; Conner, and Davidson Resiliency Questionnaire (CD-RISC); Coping Strategies Scale of Lazarus and Folkman (WOCQ); and Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36). This study had the correlation design and data were analyzed by stepwise regression. Spirituality, resiliency, and emotion-oriented strategy predicted 38% of quality of life variance. Quality of life had a positive relationship with resiliency, spirituality, and problem-oriented strategy factors and a negative relationship with emotion-oriented coping strategy. Since resiliency, spirituality, and coping strategies factors could predict the quality of life, the students’ quality of life will be enhanced by creating such capacities.

The aim of this study was to compare happiness and willingness to communicate in attachment styles in sample students in University of Tabriz. Using cluster sampling, 400 students were selected and for data collection, Hazan and Shaver Attachment Styles Scale and Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (Munsh) and Willingness to Communicate Scale were used. Data analysis using one-way analysis of variance and the post hoc multiple comparisons were performed. The results showed that there are significant differences between attachment styles and happiness. Students with secure attachment style had a higher happiness than non-secure students with avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles. Students with avoidant attachment style had higher happiness than those with ambivalent attachment style. Another result showed that there are significant differences between attachment styles and willingness to communicate. Students with secure attachment style had higher willingness to communicate than non-secure students and students with ambivalent attachment style had higher willingness to communicate compared with avoidant students. Overall, attachment styles affect happiness and willingness to communicate.

The purpose of this study was to predict job satisfaction thorough four separate traits of core self-evaluations (CSEs) and CSE construct in a direct way in an Iranian population. By stratified sampling, 100 staff with B.A. degree from Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, were chosen. They completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; Judge); Eysenck Neuroticism Scale; Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale (IPC; Leveson); Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES; Judge); and the Overall Job Satisfaction Measure (Brayfield and Rothe). Pearson correlation results revealed that the direct measure of core self-evaluation, self-esteem, and generalized self-efficacy were positively correlated with job satisfaction. Neuroticism had a negative correlation with job satisfaction. Regression analysis indicated that core self-evaluation, neuroticism, and self-esteem could respectively explain 18%, 9.4%, and 5.4% of variance in the job satisfaction. Core self-evaluations influence the cognitive appraisal process leading to job satisfaction and could predict the variation of the job satisfaction.

Decades of research among aggressive adolescents has revealed that a single factor does not determine people’s Aggressive behavior in person. One of the factors closely related to aggression is the personality characteristics of narcissism. Such characteristics are related to different forms of aggression. The main purpose of this research was the comparison of narcissism and its dimensions (adaptive and maladaptive) in aggressive and non-aggressive adolescent girls. The sample included 531 female students (257 aggressive and 274 non-aggressive). They were selected through cluster random sampling method. The instruments used in this study were Ahvaz Aggression Inventory and Narcissistic Personality Inventory. The means of variables in both groups were compared by independent T-test. T-test results showed that non-aggressive adolescent girls had a significant difference in maladaptive narcissism compared with aggressive girls, but there was no significant difference between two groups in adaptive narcissism. We can use narcissism, especially maladaptive narcissism, to predict aggressive behaviors of female students.

The purpose of this study is to compare meta cognition components and cognitive failures based on extraversion and neuroticism personality dimensions. The sample included 395 female students of Tarbiat Modares University completed Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, then according to extreme scores in extraversion and neuroticism dimensions, 4 groups including extravert, introvert, neurotic, and emotionally stable (30 subjects in each group) were selected. The data were collected by meta cognition Questionnaire and Cognitive Failures Questionnaire and were analyzed using variance analysis. The results indicated that neurotics had a higher score than extraverts in total score of meta cognition. Also, extraverts, neurotics, and introverts had higher scores than emotionally stable group. In cognitive failures, neurotics had the highest score among all groups. Individuals with different personality dimensions differ in meta cognition components and cognitive failures.

This study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of Davis Dyslexia Correction method on reading performance of third grade male dyslexic elementary students. Twenty dyslexic students were selected through multistage random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control group. Instruments include Reading and Dyslexia Test, Wechsler’s Intelligence Scale for Children, and Dyslexic Children Recognition Checklist and Concept Scale. Davis method was used in 16 sessions half-hour individual on all experimental groups. After the intervention, Reading and Dyslexia Test were administered on both experimental and control groups. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, co-variance by SPSS 15. Result showed that Davis method was effective on self-concept of dyslexic children and there was a significant difference among the post-test scores of experimental and control groups. Results showed that through Davis intervention method, educational, athletic, and social self-concept increased. Dyslexic students require an appropriate training program to solve their reading and educational problems. Educational problems of these students have negative effects on their non-academic and self-concept. Therefore, alleviating their educational problems has a positive effect of their self-concept.

Movies broadcast on television should be categorized based on the extent of aggressive content and those with a high degree of violence should not be broadcast. The research is a short-period laboratory and experimental study in which 100 Isfahan University students registered voluntarily. The students were asked to watch seven Iranian movies, rank all movies on a scale of aggressive reaction and violence, and subsequently fill Keppra irritability, Mehrabian preventive irritability, and Bass-Darky Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. Movies with a high degree of violence caused more irritability; stimulus barrier in such aggressive movies was more visible, bore less invasion, and was more common among female than male. Multi-variant data analysis in grading violence and aggressive reflection on them proves that either the type of movies or irritability was meaningful. Moreover, we concluded that the type of movies interacted with stimulus barrier, and the effects of multi-interaction of sexuality and stimulus barrier have been meaningful. We concluded that encountering stimulus barrier in movies was an effective intervention in decreasing violence and it was possibly available through training. However, it is unlikely for irritability with its trail and characteristics to have an effective role.

The aim of this study was to investigate psychometric properties of General Health Questionnaire of the students. In this study, 500 students of medical universities in Tehran were selected in a relative sampling. Participants responded to the General Health Questionnaire 12 items form and interviewed by trained interviewers with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Form (CIDI). Exploratory factor analysis through principle component analysis showed the two-factor structure of this questionnaire. This questionnaire was made of two components, of which the first factor explained the greatest amount of variance. The best cut-off point of GHQ-12 questionnaire was 9, and the sensitivity, specificity, and overall classification error for the best cut-off point were81.5%, 77.1%, and 17.8%, respectively. The cut-off point with maximum sensitivity index (95.5%) was five and the maximum specificity score (95.8%) was 15. Construct validity by examining correlations between the subscales of the questionnaire together with the total score was calculated, which were strongly significantly correlated. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.92 and the split-half and Spearman-Brown reliability was 0.91. The best cut-off point for this questionnaire was 9 for two-stage studies and 15 for one-stage studies. Obtained construct validity and reliability coefficients indicate that this questionnaire is suitable for screening psychopathology in university students.

Specialists and researchers believe that emotional intelligence can have important applications and effects on different human activities such as leadership and direction of others, professional growth, mental health, family life, and marital life. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the relationship between emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction in married women and their husbands. 500 married women employed in Tehran state administrations, organizations, and companies and their husbands were selected by random stratified sampling. The necessary information was collected using Petrides and Furnham’s Emotional Intelligence Scale and Najarian Family Assessment Tool. To analyze data statistically, Pearson`s correlation coefficient and multivariate regression were employed. The results showed that there is a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction of women and their husbands. In addition, emotional intelligence of women and their spouses can explain 35% of women`s marital satisfaction variance and 6% of their husbands marital satisfaction variance. Considering the significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and marital satisfaction in married women and their husbands, quality of emotional intelligence can be considered as influential and fundamental construct in improving and reinforcing satisfactory marital relationships. Therefore, effective measures can be taken by training of the emotional intelligence role in improving interpersonal and marital relationships.

Religion and religiosity have a great impact on physical and psychological aspects of human. One of the most important aspects that have significant relationship with religion is the identity that people shape during adolescence and youth. The aim of the present study is to assess religiosity and its relationship with identity styles among university students. Four hundred and thirty six students from Payame-Noor University of Tehran participated in the study by completing Extended Version of the Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS), and Religious Questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that the mean score of religiosity among the sample was at a high level although the mean scores of ideological and experimental dimensions were higher than the scores of consequential and ritualistic dimensions. The results of Pearson correlation showed that achievement identity and foreclosure identity styles had a significant and positive relation with all dimensions of religiosity whereas moratorium identity had a significant and negative relation with religiosity dimension. The findings of the study indicated that religiosity has a complex relation with identity styles and people’s cognitive processing, and individuals with achievement and foreclosure identity styles have more commitment to religious beliefs gained by their own explorations or from their significant others.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between organizational spirituality and psychological empowerment, creativity, spiritual intelligence, stress, and job satisfaction of employees of University. Research group consisted of all employees of the university among whom 308 were selected at convenience. They filled out research tools including Milliman’s Organizational Spirituality Questionnaire, Spritzer’s Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, Jafari’s Creativity Questionnaire, King’s Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, Job Description Questionnaire, and HSE Job Stress Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffe's Post Hoc test. The relationship between organizational spirituality and psychological empowerment, creativity, and job stress was positive and significant. Also based on the results of the employees of a job with spirituality organizational significant relationship. Spirituality is one of the most important variables affecting worker empowerment and creative organizations, and policy makers should use its maximum power to achieve organizational goals.

This research was designed and implemented to investigate the effectiveness of a medium term program to intervention in identity processing and decreasing identity difficulties. Of 500 freshmen, 75 students had identity problems and 24 who agreed to participate were selected and randomly divided into two groups of 12 (case and control). Intervention programs were executed in 8 months and 10 sessions. Berzonsky Identity Styels Inventory and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III were administered before and after intervention to measure identity styles and mental problems. The results suggested that intervention was effective in improving students’ commitment, reducing borderline personality disorder, and reducing antisocial personality disorder, but it did not significantly change other disorders. The proposed program can be used in similar conditions to prevent or reduce psychological problems, especially in personality disorders related to identity loss.