Contemporary Psychology
Year:2015 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:11

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a new attachment-based intervention model named Mother-Child-Disease Triangle (MCDT) on health and attachment indices in children with chronic disease. Twenty-two mother-child dyads were included in the study as volunteers. All the children were receiving medical treatment in Tehran Pediatric Medical Center hospital following a chronic disease diagnosis. In pre-test stage a battery of questionnaires were administered. This consisted of the Inventory of Parent Attachment (IPPA), Beck’s Depression Inventory- Primary Care (BDI-PC), and Illness Perception Inventory (IPI) which were completed by children, and a 28 item Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-28) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI) which were completed by mothers. On the basis of pre-test scores, mother-child dyads were paired and then randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group received 10 sessions of MCDT intervention, meanwhile the control group received 10 simple conversational sessions, as a dummy intervention. Both groups were evaluated again by the tools after completing their respective treatment regimens. The analysis of data showed significant differences between the two groups after treatment and revealed significant improvement in attachment and health indices included depression, physiological and psychosocial health and total score of general health in the experimental group in pre-post-treatment stages compared to the control group. These finding suggest that using psychological intervention, especially attachment-based intervention, plus medical treatment, would improve the health and attachment indices in chronic disease inpatient children.

The present study aimed to compare body image concern and self-esteem of adolescents with scoliosis with and without brace treatment and normal adolescents. A total of 237 adolescents (121 girls, 116 boys) aged 12 to 18 years were assigned into three groups: Adolescents with scoliosis who were under full time brace treatment for at least three months; adolescents with scoliosis who were not under brace treatment; and a group of normal adolescents. All participants were matched for sex and age. Participants completed two questionnaires measuring self-esteem: Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale (RSES) and Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI). Results showed that overall, adolescents suffering from scoliosis reported lower scores in self-esteem compared to normal adolescents and adolescents who were using brace reported significantly greater body image concern compared to the other groups. In the latter measure, there was no significant difference between normal adolescents and adolescents with scoliosis who were not under brace treatment. Sex differences in scores of self-esteem indicate that girls reported significantly lower self-esteem compared to boys. There were no significant sex differences in scores of body image concern. It is concluded that psychological factors play an important role in scoliosis and results are discussed in terms of the importance of brace wear in the prevention and treatment of scoliosis and the possible psychological effects this treatment may have on patients. In the light of the results of the present study it is suggested that future research should concentrate on designing psycho-educational intervention packages via more qualitative data gathering methods in order to provide psychological support for adolescent suffering from scoliosis.

Emotions, cognitions, and defenses are considered as fundamental psychological processes. These complex and multidimensional variables have intertwined relationships with each other. Discovering the novel aspects of these variables and their relationships has theoretical and clinical importance.The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on the relationship between alexithymia, anger and anger rumination with ego defense styles. A total of 378 students (227 females, 148 males) from University of Tehran participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), Multidimensional Anger Inventory (MAI), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and Defense Style Questionnaire. Alexithymia, anger, and anger rumination revealed significant negative correlations with mature defense style as well as significant positive correlations with immature defense style. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies showed significant positive correlations with mature defense style, while maladaptive emotion regulation strategies showed significant positive correlations with neurotic and immature defense styles. Based on the results of path analysis, cognitive emotion regulation strategies did not play a significant mediating role on the relationship between alexithymia and defense styles. The results of this study indicated that mediating effect of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies on the relationship between anger and anger rumination with immature defense style was stronger than the other variables. Also mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in case of anger rumination and defense styles was more stronger than anger and defense styles. Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that the relationship between alexithymia, anger, and anger rumination with defense styles is not a simple linear one, but the other variables such as cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a mediating role in this relationship. Results of the present study were a novel step to conceptualize a theoretical model in predicting ego defense styles.

During recent decades, using valid and reliable questionnaires in the field of ego identity for research and individual assessment purposes has been addressed by psychologists. The aim of the present study was to investigate the validity and reliability of Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 (EOM-EIS-2) in high school students in Tehran.234 students were selected randomly and the validity of the scales was studied on this Iranian sample in two ways: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The exploratory factor analysis was carried out on the 50 percent of the sample that were selected randomly from all of the students and the confirmatory factor analysis was done on the rest of other 50 percents. The finding showed the both “ideological” and “interpersonal” identity of EOM-EIS-2 questionnaire had a four factor structure, as follows: Foreclosure, identity achieved, moratorium and diffused identity. The convergent-divergent validity of the four identity statuses yielded significant correlations between the same identity statuses of ideological and interpersonal identity and the correlation ranged from.38 to.65. The internal consistency of the four scales of the two ego identities were.46 for identity moratorium and diffusion in ideological identity and for the rest of them correlations ranged from.53 to.76. It is concluded that the EOM-EIS-2 scales had acceptable validity and reliability in an Iranian sample.

Advancement in science has resulted in a shift of attention towards the mental aspects of human existence in addition to possible physical and material requirements. Today, this point in architectural design seems to have found its rightful place. Despite the fact that university students play a significant role in shaping the future of their country, the psychological needs of students in terms of designing student housing has largely been ignored by architects. The aim of the present study was to use the fundamental principles of Kansei engineering to form a model of communal housing for students’ residence. The sample consisted of 50 female students residing in dormitory of Mazandaran University. All students lived in suites with a separate living room. A check list of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was completed by participants and based on these scores, and using Kansei principles, a communal space was designed. Features of the design included the use of natural materials, low ceiling height, small living space, enclosed living space, neutral colors and a large number of wide openings and exits. First, satisfaction of 25 students was compared by displaying images of the designed communal space with images of communal spaces which had raised positive emotions in them. Results showed that 64% of them chose the designed communal space based on Kansei principles as their desired communal space. Then images of the designed communal space was presented alongside images of other communal spaces. Results show that 68% of them preferred the Kansei designed communal space to other communal spaces.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of intrinsic motivation on the relationship between students’ basic psychological needs and life satisfaction. This was done in the framework of causal model and was based on self-determination theory. For this reason 292 graduate students of Tehran University (145 boys, 147 girls) completed an Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS), and subscales of Intrinsic Motivation (IM) and Basic Psychological Needs (BPN) of motivational orientations for learning EFL. Results of path analysis revealed that need for autonomy, need for competence and need for relatedness had direct and positive effects on intrinsic motivation. Need for autonomy and need for competence had indirect and positive effect via intrinsic motivation on life satisfaction but the indirect effect of need for relatedness on life satisfaction was not significant. Overall basic psychological needs explained 29% of the variance for intrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation explained 22% of the variance for life satisfaction. Based on these findings, intrinsic motivation seems to have a mediating role in the relationship between basic psychological needs and life satisfaction. Hence it may be argued that by taking into account variables such as basic psychological needs and by attempting to increase intrinsic motivation, life satisfaction may be improved.

This research aimed to measure the epidemiology of migraine headaches in female students and the impact of Fordyce’s happiness training on decreasing symptoms of migraine and increasing happiness in university students. A total of 320 female students of Persian Gulf University in Bushehr were screened and 30 students suffering from migraine were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. The instruments used were the International Headache Society’s Questionnaire (IHSQ), the Ahvaz Migraine Questionnaire (AMQ), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). The experimental group received eight sixty minute sessions of Fordyce’s happiness training. Results showed that the percentage of female students with migraine headaches was 10.94. It was found that the experimental group in the post-test reported significantly more life satisfaction, contentment, and happiness and significantly less migraine symptoms. This study showed that the Fordyce’s happiness training is effective in reducing migraine headache and migraine symptoms and increasing happiness in female university students. It is suggested that in the treatment of patients with migraine, cognitive-behavioral therapy may be used as a complementary method to medical treatment.

Job performance is optimal when worker skills fit with defined dimensions for job role. This is termed “role breadth”. The present study investigated this fitness. Also the relationship between autonomy, cognitive ability and performance in assessment centers with job performance according to role breadth was investigated. The research sample consisted of 139 managers of Isfahan governmental and private organizations who were selected using convenience sampling. For measuring these variables, simulation exercises in an assessment center, expanded form of Professional and Managerial Position Questionnaire (PMPQ), General Aptitude Test Battery(GATB), Job Characteristics Inventory (JCI) and organizational performance evaluations were used. Findings indicated that autonomy, cognitive ability, performance in assessment center, and role breadth variables are predictors of job performance and role breadth is a mediator. According to findings, increasing in autonomy of managerial jobs and selecting of volunteers with high cognitive ability through assessment centers for managerial jobs to maximum performance is recommended.