INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Year:2011 | Volume:5 | Issue:1 (15)|Papers Count:12

Introduction: The current study aimed at structural equation modeling of the relationship between cultural values (individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, power distance) and computer use, with regard to the meditational effects of personal innovativeness, perceived usefulness and ease of use applying.Method: Three hundred and eighty-one B.A students in Tehran University answered a questionnaire comprising of the following subscales: perceived usefulness and ease of use; willingness to innovate; individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance and masculinity/femininity. Partial least squares method was used for data analysis.Results: Findings, in general, showed personal innovativeness, usefulness and ease of use had a meditational role in the relationship between individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and computer use: individualism/collectivism exerted an indirect positive influence on use through personal innovativeness, usefulness and ease of use. In addition, uncertainty avoidance and power distance had an indirect negative influence on use through personal innovativeness, perceived ease of use and usefulness. On the other hand, perceived ease of use influenced computer use indirectly and positively, with the perceived usefulness being the meditational variable.Conclusions: Individual variables and cultural values can predict student’s computer use.

Introduction: The aim of this research was to investigate the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the Marriage Expectation Scale (MES) in university students.Method: The statistic population of this research was the single B.A. university students at Isfahan University. The sample was 137 students (including 51 males, 86 females) who were selected from available population by stratified sampling. Marriage Expectation Scale (MES) and marital attitude Scale (MAS) were the instruments of this research. Data were analyzed by using factor analysis, correlation, and multivariate analysis of variance.Results: Internal consistency of this scale by using Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.88 and the 3-week test-retest coefficient was 0.91. In addition the correlation of this scale with the Marital Attitude Scale was 0.43. The results of the factor analysis revealed that the MES is a multidimensional instrument with three distinct and related factors including realistic, idealistic, and pessimistic expectations. In addition, the comparison between male's and female’s expectations indicated that females have more pessimistic expectations than males.Conclusion: In general, the Marital Expectation Scale is a reliable and suitable instrument for assessing the marital expectations.

Introduction: The goal of this research was to investigate psychometric properties of the of state and trait forms of positive and negative affect (PANAS).Method: This correlation study had a sample of 447 randomly selected students (191 male, 256 female) from Shiraz University. They completed PANAS and anxiety and depression subscales of the sympoms check list-revised (SCL-90-R).Results: Factor analysis showed that each of state and trait forms of PANAS have two factors labeled positive and negative effects. In concurrent validity, correlation coefficients of negative affect in the trait form of PANAS with depression and anxiety subscales of the SCL-90-R were 0.67 and 0.56 respectively. Furthermore, correlation coefficients of positive affect in trait form of PANAS with depression and anxiety subscales of the SCL-90-R were -0.32 and -0.40, respectively. As for reliability, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for state and trait forms of PANAS were between 0.82 and 0.88.Conclusion: The state and trait of the PANAS have appropriate reliability and validity and are suitable scales for research and clinical applications.

Introduction: This research aimed to compare medical and psychological interventions to improve chronic insomnia among women.Method: The study population included all of the clients in a sleep clinic in the city of Tehran suffering from chronic insomnia. The sample for this study included 26 clients, who were randomly divided into two groups with 13 clients in each group. Psychological intervention group subjects were given instructions for progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, relaxing music, and sleep hygiene in 4 sessions. Subjects in medical intervention group used hypnotic drugs in 4 weeks. All participants were examined after 4 weeks. The tools for obtaining information consisted of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Berlin Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea, and Beck Depression Inventory.Results: The analysis of data showed that both psychological and medical interventions could improve sleep quality and insomnia. Comparison between the two kinds of interventions showed that psychological interventions are more effective than medical intervention.Conclusion: According to the results, we may suggest that psychological interventions are a more proper remedy for insomnia.

Introduction: The present study was designed in order to assess the accuracy and reliability of prepared protocol. The aim was qualitative study mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on suicidal depressed patients with group administration.Method: Five patients with depressive disorder and recent suicidal thoughts participated in 10 sessions of group therapy based on the present treatment manual. The instruments consisted of consent form, a researcher-made structured qualitative assessment form and also searcher-made unstructured global feedback assessment of therapeutic sessions.Results: The findings of quality analysis indicated the efficacy of this approach on reduction of depression, negative automatic thoughts, increase of life interest, tendency to remain alive, coping with life problems, and also improvement in family educational and occupational functioning in depressed suicidal patients. Furthermore, its group administration benefit was also proved. In addition, it seems this treatment results in accepting depression and receiving treatment services for this disorder by destigmatizing. Moreover, considering treatment components of present protocol meditations psycho educations and compliance with medication were described the most efficient.Conclusion: Considering research findings, it seems group administration of the treatment manual prepared by present researchers on suicidal depressed patients is effective.

Introduction: This research was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of three common methods of causal dimension: causal dimension scale, causal important rating, and open-ended attributions.Method: Research’s data were gathered from 147 university students that volunteered for this study. The data were analyzed using Cranach’s alpha, Pearson correlation coefficient, and confirmatory factor analysis for evaluation of discriminate validity, construct validity, and reliability of attribution scales.Results: Results showed that in spite of problems in controllability subscale, Causal Dimension Scale generally has high validity and reliability in comparison with other causal dimension measurements.Conclusion: It is recommended for researchers to use the Causal Dimension Assessment Scales in attribution researches to measure the attributer perception of own causal attribution.

Introduction: This study aimed at investigating these models through evaluation of one psychological variable correlation (pain self efficacy) with pain intensity in multiple sclerosis patients.Method: In this study, 249 patients were selected through convenient sampling. They were selected among those who referred to M.S assembly of Isfahan. The data were analyzed through Pearson product moment correlation, regression analysis, and MANOVA.Results: There is a significant negative correlation between pain self-efficacy and perceived intensity in M.S patients. The results of MANOVA also indicate that the highest correlation was reported to be between the highest rate of pain and the lowest rate of pain self-efficacy among the patients.Conclusion: This study provided empirical evidence supporting bio-psycho-social model and shows that psychological factors influence the perception and experience of pain intensity.

Introduction: The aim of the present research was to study the effectiveness of stress management based on cognitive-behavior method on depression, anxiety and fertilization of infertile women in Ahvaz.Method: This study is a quasi-experimental design with pre-test post-test and follow-up. The sample consisted of 40 infertile women with high level of depression and anxiety based on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Cattle Anxiety Inventory and clinical interview. They were matched for age, education, duration of infertility and other criteria considered in this research. They were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (n=20). The experimental group administered 12 sessions of stress management 2 hours weekly. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Cattle Anxiety Inventory were used to collect data, which were analyzed using covariance analysis and repeated measure.Results: There was a significant difference between two groups in depression and anxiety after the final session of intervention. Cognitive behavioral stress management significantly decreased the rate of depression and anxiety in the experimental group. The changes were persistent in 12 months of follow-up. Also, 9 women of the experimental group were fertilized after one year follow-up period.Conclusion: Stress management based on cognitive behavior method decreased the depression and anxiety in infertile women in Ahvaz and increased the fertility in them. So these results indicated that stress management is considered as an important part of the treatment.

Introduction: The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between identity styles that individuals form during their adolescence and maturity with their suicidal thoughts. Additionally, the role of other factors like gender and familial factors has been evaluated.Method: The participants were 330 students of Shahid Beheshti University students that answered the identity styles inventory (ISI) and GHQ-28 questionnaires (GHQ-28). The data were analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression analysis.Results: The results indicate that there is a significant difference between girls and boys in suicidal thoughts, nevertheless, when sex and identity styles were entered into the regression with commitment, the only predictor that negatively predicts suicidal thoughts is commitment. Also parental divorce predicts suicidal thought positively.Conclusions: As results indicate, commitment has a significant effect in prevention from suicidal thoughts as far as it can eliminate the effects of other identity styles.

Introduction: The present study aimed to compare the planning function of frontal lobe in delinquent aggressive adolescents, aggressive non-delinquent adolescents and normal adolescents.Method: This is a causal-comparative research. The sample consisted of 3 groups of 35, chosen from delinquent aggressive, aggressive non-delinquent and normal adolescents, who were matched according to these variables: age, sex, education and social and economic status. Research data, collected according to Eysenck Aggression Inventory and planning in cognitive assessment system (CAS), were interpreted by these statistical methods: One-way ANOVA, and pearson correlation coefficient.Results: Data analysis indicated that there is a significant difference between operation of aggressive delinquent adolescents, aggressive non-delinquent adolescents and normal adolescents in the process of frontal lobe of planning. The results showed that delinquent aggressive and aggressive non-delinquent adolescents had poorer function of planning as compared with normal adolescents.Conclusion: It’s likely that the existence of neuropsychology deficits such as weakness in function of planning in aggressive people led to their poorer performance in comparison to normal people.

Introduction: In this research, the relationship of job boredom proneness as a predictive variable with job-related affective, cognitive failure, and organizational constraints as criterion variables was investigated.Method: Participants of this research were 400 employees of an organization who were selected via a stratified random sampling method, and then completed the research instruments (job boredom proneness scale, cognitive failures questionnaire, organization constraints questionnaire and job-related well-being scale).Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between job boredom proneness and its facets with criterion variables. The facets of perception of time and restlessness from job boredom proneness had the most predictive role variance of criterion variables.Conclusion: Job boredom proneness can affect employee’s perception of job-related affective and organizational constraints. In addition, job boredom proneness can have an affective role in increasing cognitive failure.

introduction: In the present study, the relation between handedness and visual-spatial ability and cognitive flexibility has been investigatedMethod: A sample of 120 pre-university students, 60 boys and 60 girls, was chosen through Wisconsin card sorting test, and Koh’s block design test.Results: Statistical analysis using two-way variance analysis method showed that visual-spatial abilities and cognitive flexibility have a significant relationship with handedness, right-handedness. The results indicate that handedness and gender affect cognitive flexibility: the boys and the left-handed have a weaker performance compared to the girls and the right-handed; the variants of gender and handedness, however, do not have mutual action on affecting cognitive flexibility. The other results reveal the effects of handedness on visual-spatial ability: the left-handed had a better performance in comparison with the right-handed, but no relation was found between gender and visual-spatial ability; the variants of gender and handedness do not have mutual reaction regarding visual-spatial ability.Conclusion: The final interpretations of the variables of left-handedness in the non-clinical population, all agree on the high visual-spatial ability and the reduction of cognitive flexibility. This is strongly supported by one of the theories in the etiology of left-handedness which was proposed by Geshwind, Behan, and Galaburda.