JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
Year:2013 | Volume:11 | Issue:2 (26)|Papers Count:13

Aim and Background: The present study aimed to examine the effect of massage on decreasing anxiety and depression in addicted women imprisoned in Isfahan, Iran.Methods and Materials: The present study was a quasi-experimental study. Pre-test and post-test with control group design were used. Subjects were 30 participants who were divided in two experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group underwent massage therapy for 8 weeks (3 sessions per week) for 30 minutes, while for the control group discussions about daily issues were conducted for only 3 sessions per week. Beck Inventory questionnaires were used for measuring anxiety and depression scores at the beginning and end of intervention period. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).Findings: After controlling for the pretest anxiety and depression scores, massage therapy for 8 weeks significantly reduced anxiety (P<0.001; Partial  h2=0.921) and depression (P<0.001; Partial h2=0.881) scores of the addicted imprisoned women imprisoned in the experimental group in comparison to the control group.Conclusions: According to the results massage therapy can be used as a non-pharmacologic intervention for decreasing anxiety and depression in the addicted women who were imprisoned.

Aim and Background: Internet access is a growing phenomenon. With increasing and widespread access to Internet, dependency to Internet is observed among the youth. This research aimed to compare personality characteristics and identity styles in Internet addicted and non-addicted students.Methods and Materials: This was a causal-comparative research carried out in the educational years 2011-2012. The statistical community of the research contained all the dormitory male students resided in Tehran University dormitory (about 6000 students).380 students were selected via random sampling based on Morgan table. According to the population of each dormitory, related questionnaires were distributed and fulfilled, so that by referring to each one of the student rooms, questionnaires were delivered and collected after about 20 minutes. The study tools included Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAD), Personality Inventory (NEO), and Berzonsky Identity Styles Inventory (ISI-6). In order to analyze data in two descriptive and analytic levels, statistic t-test was utilized.Findings: Results indicated that in terms of personality characteristics, there is a difference between Internet addicted and non-addicted students, so that neuroticism was in a higher level for Internet addicted students than for non-addicted ones. As well, the three variables of extroversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness were in a higher level for Internet non-addicted students than for addicted ones. There was, however, no difference between the two groups in terms of personality characteristics of openness to experience. There was also a meaningful difference between the two groups in terms of identity variables.Informational style was in a higher level for Internet non-addicted students than for addicted ones. As well, normative style and diffuse-avoidant style was in a higher level for Internet addicted students than for non-addicted ones.Conclusions: There is, in terms of personality characteristics and identity style, a difference between Internet addicted and non-addicted students.

Aim and Background: It is necessary to notice the relationship between sense of humor and emotional intelligence, because emotional performance can be affected by people’s sense of humor. The purpose of the present study was to predict emotional intelligence based on sense of humor and its dimensions among talented university students.Methods and Materials: This descriptive study was performed on 115 (44 males and 71 females) talented and high achievers Shiraz University students selected through purposive sampling in 2011.Khoshoee Sense of Humor Questionnaire and Petrides and Furnham Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Data was analyzed by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple analysis regression by the use of SPSS software version 16.Findings: There was a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and sense of humor and it’s dimensions (enjoyment of humor, laughter, verbal humor, sense of humor in social relation, sense of humor in stressful conditions). The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that emotional intelligence is predicted by sense of humor in social relation and sense of humor in stressful conditions.Conclusions: There was a positive relationship between sense of humor and emotional intelligence. The most important predictor of emotional intelligence among talented university students was sense of humor in social relation.

Aim and Background: The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of executive functions training (response inhibition) on the attention of preschool children with developmental coordination disorder in Isfahan city, Iran.Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of all the preschool children (5-6 years old) with developmental coordination disorder. Purposive sampling method was used. The subjects were three preschool children who had a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder symptoms. Data collection tools included: (NEPSY neuropsychology test) neuropsychology test, Conner’s parent rating scale, Wechsler intelligence scale for children, basic motor ability tests and clinical interview. A single subject method with multiple baseline design (MBD) research methodology was used too. The intervention started right after the baseline condition and 10 individual sessions of response inhibition executive functions training was given to them afterwards.Findings: The results of the data chart analysis based on descriptive statistics and visual analysis indices revealed that the intervention was effective on the three participants (respectively PND 100%, 90% and 70% for test number one, two and three).Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that by response inhibition executive functions training, the rate of attention deficit can be reduced and the rate of academic performance can be improved.

Aim and Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on depression and mental health in patients with diabetes.Methods and Materials: Experimental research method was used in this study. Statistical population consisted of diabetic patients from diabetes center in Isfahan, Iran. A total of 30 patients were randomly selected and assigned to either experimental or control groups. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II) was completed before and after the intervention. Experimental group received 8 training sessions of ACT, with 120 minutes duration, in Diabetes Charitable Center of Isfahan. The control group received no training at all.Findings: Results showed that ACT significantly increased scores on the BDI II compared to the control group (P<0.001).Conclusions: ACT may be considered to be an effective intervention approach for treating depression in diabetic patients.

Aim and Background: This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of group anger management and communication skills training on aggression of marijuana addicted prisoners of Hamadan Prison, Hamadan, Iran.Methods and Materials: Quasi-experimental method was carried out with designing pre-test and posttest.The study community consisted of 700 prisoners of Hamadan occupational camp who had the history of aggressive behaviors. Based on the sample size formula of Krejcie and Morgan, 248 people were selected randomly. After conducting Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AGQ) 63 individuals whom had high aggression rate were selected. Among them 45 people were randomly selected and were assigned to three groups of 15 people.15 people were placed in group anger management training (life skills, Chris and Kling 1998), 15 people in group communication skills training (psychology, human relations, Bulletin 1994) and 15 people in the control group. First test group was trained in 8 sessions of anger management training with 60 minutes duration for 1 month, and the second test group was trained in 8 sessions of communication skills training with 60 minutes duration for 1 month, the control group did not receive any training. After the training program post-test was conducted for all three groups. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used.Findings: The results showed that anger management and communication skills training both were effective in reducing aggression.Conclusions: Communication skill training is more effective than anger management training to reduce aggression.

Aim and Background: Insomnia, one of the prevalent disorders, in many cases is considered as a sign associated with physical and mental disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on these symptoms among male prisoners.Methods and Materials: The subjects of this experimental study were 28 male prisoners in central prison of Shiraz, Iran, who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 9 cognitive behavioral group therapy sessions, while the control group received no treatment. The participants completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance.Findings: High percentage of prisoners reported insomnia symptoms. Moreover, the results of analysis of covariance showed that cognitive behavioral group therapy could decrease insomnia symptoms in post-test (P<0.01) and follow-up (P<0.05) stages.Conclusions: Taking into account the high prevalence of insomnia among prisoners and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on its symptoms, it seems necessary to carry out more research and provide psychological services to decrease insomnia symptoms and its underlying factors.

In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association's Committee on Nomenclature and Statistics published the first edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-I). Five editions have been published since then: DSM-II (1968), DSM-III (1980), a revised DSM-III, DSM-III-R (1987), DSM-IV (1994), and DSM-IV-TR (TR stands for Text Revision) (2000). The purpose of this article was to present a brief review about changes in DSM (from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5). Publication of the fifth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013 will be marked as one of the most anticipated events in the mental health field. As part of the development process, based on concerns about the reliability of the proposed attenuated psychosis syndrome and mixed anxiety depressive disorder in the field trials, these two conditions are being recommended for further study in section III. A footnote was also added to the major depressive disorder criteria to clarify the difference between normal bereavement associated with a significant loss and a diagnosis of a mental disorder. Among the other significant changes in this study was personality disorders diagnostic criteria for pedophilic disorder which was modified. Communication disorders now include two diagnoses: Language disorders and speech disorders. Simple somatic symptom disorder was a milder form of complex somatic symptom disorder; the two have now been combined as a single disorder namely somatic symptom disorder. Nonsuicidal self-injury disorder and persistent complex bereavement disorder. In the fifth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) that has been published in May 2013, there are several significant changes in diagnostic criteria, some classifications, subscales, and proposed new terms.