DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (JOURNAL OF IRANIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS)
Year:2014 | Volume:11 | Issue:41|Papers Count:11

The aim of the present study was to investigate the simple and multiple relations of metacognitive beliefs, intolerance of uncertainty, perfectionistic cognitions, and cognitive avoidance in relation to worry in patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Sixty six patients (52 females, 14 males) with GAD and 74 patients (51 females, 23 males) with OCD were selected by purposive sampling in Yazd and Tehran. All participants completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire (MCBQ), the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI), and the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ). The results indicated a positive correlation between predictor variables and worry in both groups. The most powerful predictors of worry in patients with GAD and OCD were metacognitive beliefs and intolerance of uncertainty, respectively. The findings suggested that although worry is a shared cognitive component in both GAD and OCD, the determinants of it are different in these two disorders

The purposes of this study were to compare autobiographical memory, early schemas and the quality of life between abused and non-abused children and to predict their quality of life. Fifty boys and girls aged between 8 and 12 who according to school authorities reports were physically abused by their family members, and 50 children without history of abuse were selected using convenience sampling from 16th district of Tehran. Each group consisted of 25 Iranian and 25 Afghan children. The participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Task (AMT, Williams & Broadbent, 1986), the Schema Inventory for Children (Rijkeboer & deBoo, 2009), and the Kidscreen-27 (European Public Health Perspective, 2004). The data were analyzed by multivariate chi-square, t-test and multiple regression. The results indicated that 1) child abuse was not related to the type of memories by children, though it was associated with more nonspecific memories in positive and neutral words, 2) there were significant differences between two groups in schemas and quality of life, and 3) schemas could predict quality of life. The findings suggested the role of schemas in identifying at-risk children and controlling their conditions of life.

The present study aimed to investigate an undesirable and harmful aspect of creativity. It was hypothesized that creative people have the ability to find creative ways for justifying their unethical behaviors, and thus they can better convince themselves to commit immoral behaviors. One hundred and sixty five undergraduates (66 males, 99 females) were selected using multistage random sampling. The participants completed the Abedi Creavity Test (2003) and the Ravens Progressive Matrices (1995). The participants were exposed to an ethical dilemma in two ways: justifying unethical behavior (dishonesty) was easy in justifiable group and was difficult in unjustifiable group. Consistent with research hypothesis, the results of moderated regression analysis indicated that creativity predicted dishonesty even after controlling for intelligence and this prediction is stronger in the unjustifiable group than the justifiable group. The findings suggested that creativity had negative aspects besides positive aspects.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of resilience training on psychological well-being of street female adolescents with externalizing disorders. In this semi-experimental study, 94 female adolescents aged between 12 and 16 who were the members of the Society for Defending Street and Working Children in Tehran completed the Achenbach Self-Report Scale (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). Thirty adolescents with 63 and higher scores on the Achenbach Self-Report Scale were selected randomly and assigned into either experimental or control group. The experimental group received 15 weekly sessions of Resilience Training. Both experimental and control groups completed the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (RPWB; Ryff & Keyes, 1995) before and after the training sessions. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results indicated that experimental group had higher scores in all components of psychological well-being than the control group except for autonomy. The findings suggest that the resilience training program increases the psychological well-being of female street ad descents with externalizing disorders.

this study aimed to compare prospective memory and meta-memory (feeling- of- knowing judgments) of normal individuals and individuals with OCD. The participants were 100 students of Imam Khomeini International University in Tehran and Islamic Azad University Karaj Branch. To assess the severity of OCD symptoms, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (Hodgson & Rachman, 1977) was used. Prospective memory, memory and metamemory performance were assessed by the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (Crawford, Smith, Della Sala, Logie, & Maylor, 2003) and the neutral and threat related material (adapted from Tuna, Tekcan, & Topcuoglu, 2005) respectively. The result of independent t–test indicated that the normal group had better scores in prospective memory than OCD group. The results of Manova indicated that meta-memory performance is better in normal group in comparison to OCD group but there wasn’t any difference between two groups in memory performance.

the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of religious experiences in predicting social problem solving. Four hundred and sixteen students who studied in MA level at Shiraz University were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The participants completed the Religious Fundamentalism-Revised Questionnaire (RF-R) (Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 2004), the Quest scale (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991) and the Social Problem Solving inventory-Revised Short Form (SPS-R:SF) (D’Zurilla, Nezu,& Maydeu-Olivares, 2002). The data were analyzed using multiple regression (stepwise method). The results indicated that self-criticism (one dimension of the quest) was the positive and significant predictor of positive problem solving orientation. Self-criticism and complexity were the positive and significant predictors of rational problem solving. Moreover, the fundamentalism was the positive and significant predictor of negative problem solving orientation, and tolerance was the negative and significant predictor of negative problem orientation. The regression analysis indicated that tolerance, fundamentalism and selfcriticism significantly predicted impulsive/avoidance problem solving style. The findings suggested that the religious experience may play an important role in social problem solving styles.

the present study investigated a model of the antecedents of self-defeating behaviors. In this model, goal orientations were considered as exogenous variables, self-defeating behaviors as endogenous variable, and shame and guilt feelings as mediators. The participants were 430 (286 females, 144 males) university students selected from Shiraz University. The participants completed the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale (Cohen & Wolf, 2011), and the Self-Defeating Behavior and Cognition (Cunningham, 2007). The hypothetical model was tested by path analysis and significance of the meditational effects were examined by Bootstrap method. The results indicated that the mastery approach was a negative predictor of self-defeating behaviors both directly and indirectly through guilt and shame feelings as mediator variables, but the mastery avoidance had a positive direct effect on self-defeating behaviors. The performance approach had a negative direct effect, and the performance avoidance had a negative indirect effect on self-defeating behaviors. The findings were discussed in terms of the meditating role of guilt and shame feelings.

the aim of the present study was to formulate a model based on the relationships of social support, self-efficacy, selfesteem and life satisfaction. Two hundred and thirteen high school students (111 females, 102 males) were selected by cluster sampling. The participants completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988), the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), the Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). The results of path analysis indicated that 1) social support had significant positive relationships with self-efficacy, self-esteem and life satisfaction, 2) there was significant positive relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction, 3) there was significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and self-esteem, and 4) social support had direct relationship with life satisfaction, and indirect relationship through self-efficacy and self-esteem. The findings suggested that social support resources should be taken into consideration in promoting self-efficacy, self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents.