DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (JOURNAL OF IRANIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS)
Year:2008 | Volume:5 | Issue:17|Papers Count:9

In order to examine the relationship between perfectionism and coping with stress, 195 girls and 183 boys college students (age mean=22 years) answered a Farsi version of the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale (Terry–Short, Owens, Slade, & Dewey, 1995) and the Tehran Coping Styles Scale (Besharat, 2008). The results revealed that positive perfectionism was positively associated with problem-focused and positive emotion-focused coping styles, and negatively correlated with problem focused and negative emotion-focused coping style. Negative perfectionism had the negative correlation with these styles. Improvement of coping strategies based on positive/negative motivational dynamics, the negative interaction/opposition of idealism-realism testing, satisfaction/dissatisfaction with personal performance, generalization of adaptive/maladaptive interaction with parents, and optimism/pessimism are discussed.

Color, as an important quality of objects, can alter individuals’ emotions and influence automobile selection and sales. A review of previous research literature indicates that color affects human life unconsciously and through cultural factors. This study compared that ratios of vehicle colors manufactured in United States in 2005 and 2006 with similar vehicles at Iran-Khodro in the same period. Results showed that although silver is the most manufactured vehicle color in both countries; its production ratio is significantly higher in Iran. More blue, black, red and beige vehicles were manufactured in the U. S. A than in Iran While Iran manufactured more green and grey vehicles than the U. S. A. The results are discussed based on cultural and psychological differences plus economic limitations.

The purpose of this study was to modify split-attention and redundancy effects in multimedia learning environments by presenting the text in auditory form or by physically integrate the multiple sources of information. The topic of lightning formation was presented to middle school students via an animation (n=51). Concurrently with the animation, one group viewed on-screen text presented adjacent to the animation (textual concise group), the second group listened to a narration (narration concise group) and the third group received both on-screen text and the narration (redundant group). Learning about lightning formation was measured by retention and transfer tests. The narration group was outperformed the textual group in retention, revealing a modality effect. But students in redundant group performed worse on transfer test than did students who received concise formats, revealing a redundancy effect The results are explained by a dual processing model of working memory and limited visual channel capacity. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

The development of a valid and reliable ego identity scale which takes into account the cultural characteristics of the Iranian society is a fundamental matter. To develop such scale, 442 female (N = 249) and male (N = 193) university students were administrated a researcher-devised questionnaire, originating from Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (Adams, Bennion & Hugh, 1989, Adams, 1998). The structure and content of scale were analyzed, using the Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) technique. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Findings suggest the accuracy of four identity statuses of the questionnaire (achieved, moratorium, foreclosed and diffused) derived through internal consistency (alpha coefficients ranged from 0.77 to 0.85), and the reliability of Marcia’s theoretical model (1966) of ego identity (exploration and commitment) for measurement in Iranian culture. Content and structural analysis of ego identity made possible the identification of all above mentioned status of ego and showed that the constituted areas of identity status were clearly distinguishable. Data suggest that the developed scale of Ego Identity Measurement can be a reliable instrument for measuring ego identity in both genders.

In this study, a sample of 377 female undergraduate students (188 non-athletes and 189 athletes) completed the Measures of psychosocial development questionnaire (Hawley, 1988) and Five Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992). The Results showed that : a) the levels of personality components, except for neuroticism, were higher in athletes than in non-athletes; b) athletes were more psychosocially developed than non-athletes; c) the psychosocial development was correlated positively with extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and negatively with neuroticism; d) athletes with high neuronticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, were more psychosocially developed than non-athletes but extroverted non-athletes were more psychosocially developed than introverted athletes.

Inferiority feeling of two groups of outpatients with social phobia (16 females, 16 males, mean age=31 years) and obsessive compulsive disorder (20 female, 16 males, mean age=38 years) were compared to inferiority feelings of a non-clinical group (20 females, 20 males, mean age=38 years). In order to do the comparison, all three groups were administered the Inferiority Scale (Yao et al, 1997). Results showed that the scores of inferiority were higher in social phobia and OCD patients than in the nonclinical group. There was no significant difference between the inferiority feeling of social phobic and the OCD patients.

This study compared mental health, social support and coping strategies of abused women with those of a control group. A group of abused women (n=45) and a group of women who were not victims of abuse (n=72), completed Spouse Abuse Questionnaire (Ghahari, Atef Vahid, & Yoosefi, 2005), General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972), Social Support Scale (Cassidy & Long, 1996) and Coping Scale (Ghadamgahi, 1997). The MANOVA revealed that women with spouse abuse have lower scores in general health and social support and higher scores in coping strategies.