International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume:7 Issue: 3, 2013

Most of intellectually disabled students do not have appropriate adaptive behaviors. Their maladaptive behaviors lead to psychological problems in their life and affect their interactions negatively. Therefore، instructional interventions are required. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and social competency training methods on adaptive behavior of intellectually disabled boy students in Tehran. This is an experimental study established in pretest and posttest design accompanied by control group; 60 boys were selected from intellectually disabled students aged 12-14 years، using cluster sampling type. Subjects were randomly devided into 3 groups (2 experimental groups and one control group; each group comprising 20 individuals). Experimental groups attended cognitive-behavioral and social competency training sessions (10 sessions of 50 minutes; weekly) but control group did not. All participants were assessed through Vineland’s Adaptive Behavior Scale before and after intervention sessions. Data was analyzed by analysis of covariance and post-hoc Tukey test. Findings showed that there was significant difference between experimental groups and control group. The mean scores of the post-test belonged to cognitive-behavioral training group showed a major difference in comparison to the social competency and control groups. Furthermore، the difference of the mean scores pertaining to social competency training group was significantly more than the control one. The cognitive-behavioral and social competency training programs lead to improvement of adaptive behavior in intellectually disabled students. Therefore، devising such training programs is particularly advantageous to these students.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive - behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) for reducing symptoms of social anxiety. The design of study is pre-test - post-test in which 40 students suffering from social anxiety disorder were selected and randomly assigned to either groups of CBT and IPT. Tools used in this study included the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)، Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS)، and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale، revised version (BFNE-II)، and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Data was statistically analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA). Data analysis suggested that there is significant difference between the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy for reducing symptoms of social phobia and social interaction anxiety; In fact، IPT significantly decreased social phobic symptoms and social interaction anxiety in comparison to CBT (respectively p= 0. 002، p=0. 008). The results also showed that There was no difference between the two psychotherapies in improvement to the fear of negative evaluation (P= 0. 71) Interpersonal therapy was significantly more effective than IPT in engendering improvement in patients suffering from social anxiety disorder. This suggests that IPT should be considered the preferred psychotherapeutic treatment for social anxiety disorder.

This study investigated relationship between Imaginary Audience and Personal fable with Resilience in adolescence. Participants were 660 girls (359) and boys (301) students، selected from high schools Shiraz، via random cluster sampling method. The subjects completed the New Personal Fable Scale (NPFS) with three subscales (Omnipotence‚ Personal Uniqueness ‚ Invulnerability)، Imaginary Audience Scale، and Adult Resilience Scale (ARS) with five subscales (Personal competence‚ social competence‚ Family coherence‚ Social support‚ Personal structure). To examine reliability of measures، Cronbach alpha method and to determine validity، factor analysis was used. Reliability and validity of the measures confirmed by these methods. Results of simultaneous multiple regression analysis showed that: A) Imaginary Audience was significant positive predictor of the social competence and Social support; b) the omnipotence was positive predictor of of all subscales of RSA; c) the Uniqueness was negative predictor of social support and Personal structure subscales; d) Invulnerability was significant negative predictor of social support and family coherence e)There is not a significant difference between girls and boys participants. The results of present study provided good evidence to support Lapsly''s model of egocentrism in adolescence. According to the results egocentrism in adolescence، in some aspects، has adaptive consequences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the auditory selective attention in regular and dyslexic primary students. Research sample comprised 40 students from second، third and fourth grades of elementary school who were selected using cluster random sampling. Groups were matched in terms of age and sex. Research method was causal-comparative. Auditory attention test of competitive sentences was used as a tool of data collection. Besides، three objects (like watch) were used to determine the dominance of left or right ear. The results of the test showed that auditory selective attention scores (right ear) in dyslexic students was significantly lower than regular students. Auditory selective attention scores (left ear) in dyslexic students was significantly lower than regular students as well. There was no difference between the groups in hearing dominance and both used right ear. Findings of this study are in line with those of the previous researches which showed dyslexic students had poor auditory selective attention and required an appropriate educational program to address their attention and educational problems.

This study aims to examine relationship between mothers’ early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive parenting styles. The sample consists of 630 mothers having a primary school child. They were picked using cluster sampling from Tehran''s public primary schools. Participants answered The Parenting Style Inventory and Young Schema Questionnaire. Afterwards، the data was analyzed by Pearson Correlation’s and Multiple Regression. the results show a direct and linear relationship between mothers'' early maladaptive schemas and parental maladaptive styles. The result of the multiple regression also indicates that authoritarian parenting style can be explained by abandonment/instability، mistrust/abuse and entitlement/grandiosity''s schemas; indulgent parenting style can be explained by abandonment/instability and defectiveness/shame''s schemas as well. Parental maladaptive styles of mothers residing in Tehran، are somewhat influenced by their maladaptive schemas; Thus، education of rational beliefs really count to adaptive parenting styles.

Mindfulness has been an area of increasing interest and research to psychologists during recent decades. Considering the importance of this construct، authors have been striving to make an evaluating questionnaire. The purpose of the present study was to investigate validity and reliability of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) through Iranian non-clinical samples. 435 students of Shahed University participated in this study. To calculate the reliability، internal consistency and test- retest were used. To calculate the validity، Neo-FFI (Costa & Mccrae، 1992)، Emotion Intelligence Questionnaire (1992)، Well-being Questionnaire (Tabasi، 2004)، and the Scl-25 (Najarian & Davoodi، 2001) were used. The questionnaires were selected in terms of literature and the relationship between their concepts and mindfulness. Results show good reliability (α =. 55-. 83)، adequate convergent and discriminate validity as for Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Iranian non-clinical samples. Results also suggest positive correlation between mindfulness and a number number of 5 personality factors، emotional intelligence، well-being and psychological symptoms plus negative correlation with other factors. Results show that we can use the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire for other Iranian non-clinical research samples. Given the much research support for the findings of the present study and the confirmed validity and reliablelity، Accordingly FFMQ can be utilized for measuring mindfulness in the Iranian sample.

These days، much attention is paid to the role of father in children’s mental health and the consequences، his presence would have in family alongside its quality. The aim of this research is to estimate the quality of father presence in mental health of children. This article is a correlative study in which 200 military families were selected by hand sampling. They filled scl-90 and quality of father presence inventories. The sample included junior students. Data were analyzed using correlation coefficient and regression. The result of study showed that there was significant relationship between the effect of father presence alongside its quality with mental health of children and disorders like somatzation، depression، anxiety، paranoid symptoms and their educational state. These findings emphasized the effect of father presence and specially the quality of his presence on mental health of children.

This study aims to examine effectiveness of Meta-cognitive therapy on Cognitive Attentional Syndrome (CAS) & Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies of patients suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). 8 patients (5 Females) from the clients of psychiatric clinic of Baqiyatallah hospital، were selected through available sampling، matched together and then divided into 4 groups (Meta-cognitive therapy، Meta-cognitive therapy combined with medications، medications & Control). Patients receiving Meta-cognitive therapy and residual ones were examined respectively 5 & 3 times by Cognitive Attentional Syndrome Scale (CAS-1) and the short form of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). To analyze the data، indexes of process changes، slope and interpretation of ups & downs in charts were employed. After treatment، scores of patients who received Meta-cognitive therapy showed decrease in CAS & maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies (Self-blaming، Rumination، Catastrophizing); additionally، in some adaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies (Positive refocusing، Refocusing on planning، Positive Reappraisal) an increase was observed. Meta-cognitive therapy via targeting directly mechanisms of pathological worry، can be appropriate choice for treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Research finding shows that some personality traits are linked with smoking. Thus، scrutiny of the five major personality dimensions، anxiety trait، depressive quality and their connection to smoking، was the aim of this research. 22 faculties from governmental and non-governmental universities in Tehran، through random sampling، and 913 students from the faculties، via convenient sampling were selected respectively، in terms of ex facto design and application of two-steps sampling method. Costello & Comrey anxiety-trait and depressive-trait scale (1967) along with Golberg five major personality scale (1999) were used for data gathering. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS-16 using descriptive methods، Pearson’s correlation and logestic regression. Sex، openness to experience and depressive trait could directly predict smoking; On the other hand agreeableness، conscientiousness and anxiety trait inversely predicted it. Some of the personality dimensions are linked with smoking، but more research is required، due to divergence of findings. Depressive trait is a predisposing factor to smoking and on the contrary anxiety trait can prevent smoking as a protective cognitive mechanism.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of training behavior modification methods to mothers of children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) on enhancing the behavioral performance and decreasing parenting stress. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design and cotrol group. To do so، 30 mothers of children with ADHD were selected using at-hand sampling and divided into control and experimental groups. Both groups filled out Parenting Stress Index and children behavioral performance questionnaire. In the next step، the experimental group was instructed behavior modification methods in 9 ninety-minute sessions while the mothers in control group went on their normal procedures. At the end of the instructional session، both groups filled out the mentioned questioners as the post-test. Covariance analysis was used for analyzing data. The results of the analysis of covariance showed that instructing behavior modification methods improved behavioral performance in children and also decreased parenting stress among mothers in experimental group، in comparison with the control group. Findings generally showed that instructing behavior modification methods to mothers، reduces behavioral problems of children and prevents stress in child-parent relationship.

Over the recent years، the sources of stress and unfavorable situations are increasingly rising. The previous studies indicate that resiliency and optimism are supportive factors which leading to adaptation to adverse conditions and consequently well-being. The purpose of this study was to predict psychological well-being through resiliency and optimism. 414 students of medicine (213 boys and 191girls) were selected at average age of 21-24 and standard deviation of 2. 2، using multistage cluster sampling. They were required to complete the questionnaires of Ryff Scales (RSPWB)، Connor-Davidsons (CDRISC) and Optimism Scales of Carver and Scheier (Life Orientation Test، LOT). The findings indicated that resiliency can predict psychological well-being by 27 percent. There was no significant difference in variables between the two genders. The Results showed that psychological well-being is influenced by personality factors such as resiliency. Regardless of the level of resiliency، optimism can relatively promote a feeling of well-being.

The purpose of the present study was to predict appropriate social skills، peer relationships، and behavioral-emotional engagement in terms of personality traits among middle-school students. 354 middle school students which were selected using multi-stage random cluster sampling method، completed the Goldberg Personality Questionnaire، two subscales of Matson''s social skills Questionnaire and Wellborn behavioral–emotional engagement Questionnaire in their regular classrooms. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. The findings showed that only the personality trait of agreeableness was a positive significant predictor of appropriate social skills. Emotional constancy، conscientiousness، extraversion dimensions were able to predict relationship with peers in a positive and significant manner. Moreover، conscientiousness and agreement dimensions were positive and significant predictors of students’ behavioral engagement in academic tasks. Meanwhile، these personality components together with emotional constancy predicted emotional engagement in a positive and significant manner. As results indicated، student’s personality can be considered as an influential factor in prediction of their social skills، peer relationship، behavioral-emotional engagement in academic tasks.