Journal of Research in Behavioral Sciences
Year:2011 | Volume:9 | Issue:1 (17)|Papers Count:11

Aim and Background: Relationship enhancement is one of the life skill training programs and it could effect on couples coping styles with life tensions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of relationship enhancement on improving marital coping strategies of couples in Isfahan, Iran.Methods and Materials: The design of this study was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest and control groups. The research population consists of the couples who referred to Comprehensive Medical and Counseling Center in Isfahan, Iran in 2008.24 couples who leaved at least two years together and were not in divorce stage were randomly selected and randomized in two experimental (13 couples) and control (11 couples) groups. Relationship enhancement was administrated in 8 sessions for the experimental group. The data of the marital coping inventory (MCI) was analyzed by covariance analysis.Findings: The result showed that relationship enhancement effectively led to decrease the marital conflict, introspective self-blame, and self-interest, marital avoidance strategies and increase the positive approach strategy. The results of follow up after a month showed that there was differences between experimental and control groups considering the scores of marital coping strategies and its dimensions (P<0.01). The efficacy of relationship enhancement had been remained after a month.Conclusions: Results provided useful information for counselors and psychotherapists about relationship enhancement program and marital coping strategies and the ways of manipulation of these strategies. Relationship enhancement (RE) may be implicated for improving of marital coping strategies and decreasing marital conflict in couple therapy.

Aim and Background: Increasing responsiveness to current treatments including cognitive-behavioral therapy is an important priority of clinical research and motivational intervening is considered as a hopeful intervention. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing on the severity of symptoms of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Methods and Materials: In this clinical trial study 40 people diagnosed with OCD in 2009, in Isfahan, Iran were enrolled. Research population was selected by convenience sampling and randomly classified into the experimental and control groups. The intervention was ten sessions of group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and motivational interviewing. The data obtained by Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Sheehan Disability Scale and analyzed by statistical tests of repeated measures analysis and t-test.Findings: Mean Yale-Browen score of the intensity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in preintervention, post-intervention and follow-up stages was 29.64, 19.92, 20 in the control group and 34.58, 17.23, 19.35 in the experimental group, respectively. The variance analysis test repeated measures showed that after the intervention also there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.06) but the decrease in the intensity of OCD symptoms in the experimental group was more than the control group (P=0.0001) and this decrease continued until the follow-up.Conclusions: Integration of the principles of group motivational interviewing with routine cognitivebehavioral therapy is an effective technique for reducing the symptoms of OCD and ultimately reducing the disability caused by symptoms.

Aim and Background: Insecure attachment style is one of the effect factors in many mental disorders. The aim of this study was to Comparison of Positive, Negative and Disorganized Schizotypy Characteristics in Secure, Avoidance and Anxiety Attachment Student in Tabriz University.Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 300 students (150 Male, 150 Female) of Tabriz University Dormitory. Students were selected by random cluster sampling. Schizotypal personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and Adults Attachment Inventory were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA).Findings: The mean age of participants was 21±1.28 years. The results showed that, there are significant differences between secure attachment, anxiety attachment and avoidant attachment groups in negative, positive, disorganized schizotypy characteristics and total score SPQ (P<0/05). In contrast, there aren' t significant differences between anxiety attachment and avoidant attachment groups in negative, positive, disorganized schizotypy characteristics personality and total score SPQ (P>0/05).Conclusions: Individual with insecure attachment experience more intensity of negative, positive and disorganized schizotypy characteristics than individual with secure attachment. In contrast, there isn't significant difference between individual with avoidant attachment and anxiety attachment. In sum, individual with insecure attachment are more vulnerable to experience of schizotypy characteristics and stricken to schizotypal personality disorder.

Aim and Background: Considering the importance of happiness in life, this research was accomplished to qualify the role of gender, type of residence, religiosity and family functioning in prediction of students' happiness of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.Methods and Materials: This research was correlation-descriptive study. The statistical population included all students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran who were studying in the spring semester of 2009.372 students selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The students accomplished family assessment device (FAD), Memorial University of Newfoundland scale of happiness (MUNSH) and religiosity through reliance on Islam assessment scale (RRIAS). Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression statistical methods were used for analyzing data.Findings: There was significant correlation between family function and also, religiosity through reliance on Islam with happiness (P<0.01).Factors such as gender, roles, type of residence, religiosity and relationship predicted 32% variance of happiness (P<0.01). Beta coefficients for predictor variables showed that gender is most important predictor for happiness.Conclusions: Students who live with their family (local) were happier than who don’t live (non-local) and similarly males were happier than females. Students with adaptive family functioning, tendency and commitment to Islam were happier. So, applying of family instruction workshops and effective religious programs are suggested to increase students’ happiness.

Aim and Background: One of main concerning problem among industrial organizational research was to study mood and affect in work environments. The aim of the current research was to investigate relation between mood and affect with organizational citizenship behavior and job absenteeism in work context.Methods and Materials: This was a correlational study. Statistical population consist of all personnel of Isfahan Polyacril and Isfahan D.M.T Companies, Isfahan Zob Ahan, and Isfahan Steal Complex of Mobarakeh (14985 persons) that have disadmitted absent from work for one year. The current study was administered in 2008.35 groups (374 persons) were selected randomly from working groups of these factories that were from intact organizational groups. Instruments were Job Affect Inventory, Positive and Negative Affect Questionnaire and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Inventory and archival data. Within analysis and between analysis, also hierarchical and OLS regression methods were used for analyzing data.Findings: Findings at individual level indicated that absenteeism related negatively with positive tone affect and positively with negative tone affect. Also OCB conversely related to negative tone affect. At group level of analysis, absenteeism with positive tone affect had reverse relationship, while it had direct relation with negative tone affect.Conclusions: In individual level, there was a stronger relation between affect and absenteeism among members of work groups with similar mood reactions, because of group effects.

Aim and Background: The key purpose of the study was to investigation the relationship of job burnout and some of job variables like type and level of responsibility, service and management experiences.Methods and Materials: This descriptive study was conducted on 245 managers and vice-chancellors randomly selected by the cluster-sampling method. They were assessed by job burnout questionnaire. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and t-tests.Findings: There was a relationship between job burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment dimensions) and the type and level of responsibility, service and management experiences.Conclusions: This research indicated that type and level of responsibility of managers has an important role in managers’ job burnout.

Aim and Background: Evaluation of cognition is fundamental for every comprehensive epilepsy program. This study conducted to assess memory state of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy before decision for epilepsy surgery.Methods and Materials: In a case-control study, 20 patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy and 20 patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy were selected using convenience sampling method in Kashani hospital, Iran and 20 normal people as a control group were randomly selected. Memory state was evaluated using the Wechsler Memory Scale. The results were analyzed using multivariate analysis.Findings: In mental control, logical memory, digit span and visual memory subscales, significant differences were obtained between right-left temporal lobe epilepsy and control group (P<0.001). However there was not a statistically difference between right lobe temporal epilepsy and left temporal lobe epilepsy in 7 subscales.Conclusions: Our findings indicated the ability of Wechsler Memory Scale to differentiate temporal lobe epilepsy.

Meta-analysis enables researchers to analyze the findings of studies related to the specific area in the form of a specific research question. Based on the results of these reviews for the specific subject, the foundation of new theories and models was established. Often, with investigating studies related to a particular field, we will saw that there are as many studies which were conducted on the same variables. Although similarity in the subject under investigation, it is possible that the methodology, for example experimental vs. survey, or populations of these studies were different. Since, the result of these studies often is not similar, thus there is a need for method to could improve our knowledge about the research subjects, on the base of synthesizing the results. By the same token, regarding to the aim of combining the findings of previous statistical research, meta-analysis follows two major processes: 1- in addition of summarizing, and description the results of studies in the literature of specific subject, it will yield us degree of true relation or difference in the population of various studies; & 2- the estimation of affect of methodological properties on effect size of estimated difference or relation in different studies in the specific field. In the present paper, approaches, goals, advantages, disadvantages of meta-analysis procedure in the field of social, and behavioral sciences were discussed.