INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Year:2011 | Volume:4 | Issue:4 (14)|Papers Count:19

Introduction: Epilepsy has a lot of physical and psychosocial consequences for patients. The propose of this research was to determine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBT) with focus on dysfunctional attitudes related to epilepsy on quality of life in patients with intractable epilepsy.Method: Twenty patients with chronic and poorly controlled seizures were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. CBT during 8 weekly sessions was applied for the experimental group with a focus on cognitive restructuring, modification cognitive distortions and training of behavioral techniques. Quality of life in epilepsy scale (QOLIE-89) was applied as the pre-test, post-test and in the follow- up for both groups. Analysis of covariance was applied to analyze the data.Results: The data analysis showed that the mean scores of QOLIE-89 in experimental group significantly increased in post-test and follow-up as compared with those of the control group.Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral group therapy with focus on dysfunctional attitudes, as a complementary therapy, has a remarkable efficacy on improvement of quality of life in epileptic patients.

Introduction: Research findings suggest that the adjustment of a family is influenced by a mentally- disabled child. Therefore, the current study aimed at investigating the relationship between familial performance, child characteristics, demographic variables and stress and mental health among parents of children with mental disabilities.Method: 200 parents (130 mothers and 70 fathers) were studied; they completed the “parenting stress index”, “General Health Questionnaire”, “FAD-I” and demographic questionnaires for parents and children. Data were analyzed using multi-vitiate Analysis of Variance, correlation and regression analysis.Results: Among child characteristics, child age had a negative relationship with parenting stress and GHQ. Severity of child’s mental disability had a negative relationship with GHQ. The correlation between familial income with parental stress and mental health was negative. The correlations between variables of role, problem solving, emotion expression and mental health and parental stress were negative. Regression analysis showed child characteristics variables, familial performance and demographic variables of parents could predict a significant variance of parental stress and mental health.Conclusion: Familial performance, child characteristics and parental demographic variables correlate with mental health and parental stress and can predict them.

Introduction: Cognitive models of PTSD suggest that appraisals of traumatic events affect the individuals’ response. It seems that anxiety predisposes memory deficits. The present study investigates memory performance among Iranian veterans with PTSD.Method: Thirty veterans with PTSD, 30 veterans without PTSD and 30 normal controls participated in the study. All subjects were matched by sex, age, academic level and verbal IQ. A battery of psychological instruments including Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (Verbal IQ), and Wechsler Memory Scale (memory subscales include information, orientation, mental control, logical memory, letter numbering sequencing, visual reproduction, verbal paired associates) were administered.Results: The results indicate that there are significant differences in memory performance among three groups, which means the PTSD patients suffer from memory deficit.Conclusion: The findings of the current study are in line with those who found memory deficits such as prospective memory, autobiographical memory, working memory as well as general memory among people who suffer from PTSD.

Introduction: The current investigation was aimed toward testing the factor structure and psychometric properties of Academic Stress Questionnaire (ASQ).Method: Two-hundred and eighty four students (100 male and 184 female) were selected through multi-stage sampling method. Students completed the Farsi version of ASQ and the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (ASEQ). The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency were used to compute the ASQ's factorial validity and reliability, respectively.Results: The results of principle component analysis (PC) and oblique rotation replicated the four-factor structure of the ASQ. Based on item content, factors were named difficulty with academic performance in class, difficulty with academic performance outside of class, difficulty with interaction at university and difficulty with managing work, family and university. Based on linear Structural Relations (LISREL) software, Goodness-of-fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 4 extracted factors. The multidimensional Scales of ASQ were shown to be an acceptable measurement model in this sample. The significant negative correlation between the ASQ total score and total score of academic self-efficacy confirmed the convergent validity of the ASQ.Conclusion: These findings speak to the robustness of the ASQ, in revealing its relatively stable structure, and consequently, to its potential usefulness as a valid measure of academic stress for Iranian students.

Introduction: The present research investigates the effects of neurofeedback on visual memory.Method: This study is an experimental study. For this reason, 30 students in 2 groups of experimental and placebo were investigated. Subjects were assessed with the Wechsler Visual Memory Scale in two stages (pre-test and post-test). Data were analyzed through ANCOVA.Results: The results revealed that after 20 sessions of neurofeedback training, the experimental group exhibited improvement in visual memory. The two groups had significant differences in visual memory.Conclusion: Neurofeedback (NF) refers to an operant conditioning paradigm where participants can learn voluntary control of distinct parameters of their electrical brain activity as measured by the electroencephalogram (EEG). Recent research focused on healthy individuals providing evidence that subjects are able to gain some control over different EEG components and thereby increase performance levels of memory, for example.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the validity and reliability of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stress questionnaire in order to achieve suitable tools for measuring job stress.Method: Research sample includes 749 military personnel who were selected by multistage sampling method from all over the country. Subjects answered HSE and GHQ questionnaires. In this study, after checking translation and content validity, we used confirmatory and explanatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation and Cronbach's Alpha in order to examine construct and concurrent validity, respectively. SPSS program version 15 and Amos version 16 were used to analyze the data.Results: The correlation coefficient between HSE and GHQ questioner is r=-0.48(P <0.000). The results show a high correlation between items that are extracted from factor analysis and the ones that are extracted from HSE questionnaire (0.92, 0.73, 0.75, 0.63, 0.87, 85, and 0.22 for item demands, control, managerial support, peer support, relationships, role, and change, respectively). Also, reliability is %78 and %65 using the Cronbach's Alpha and split-half method, respectively.Conclusion: HSE is a valid and reliable questionnaire for studying job stress.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rTMS on social functioning in patients with major depression disorder who are drug resistant.Method: Twelve Patients with major depression disorder in a quasi-experimental one group time-series design were treated with 30 sessions of 20-Hz rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC). All the patients were assessed with Social Adaptation Self Evaluation (SASS) before and after rTMS and 1.5 months after treatment.Results: The results showed a significant improvement of patients in SASS (p<0.001) and these effects lasted 1.5 months after rTMS.Conclusion: rTMS can affect social functioning in patients with major depression disorder and probably these effects are associated with Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis.

Introduction: The aim of the present research was to determine the effect of meta-cognitive and drug therapies on meta-cognitive beliefs of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Method: The sample consisted of 60 subjects selected from patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Ardabil City., The subjects were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. The two techniques used were drug therapy and meta-cognitive therapy. To collect data of Psychological Interview, Meta-cognition Questionnaire and obsessive-compulsive Inventory were used in two stages. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.Results: The results showed significant differences between therapeutic groups and control group in variables of meta-cognitive beliefs and obsessive symptoms. Multi- comparison tests revealed that meta-cognitive therapy was more effective in reducing symptoms than drug therapy. Also, meta-cognitive therapy was found to be more effective in modifying dysfunctional meta-cognitive beliefs than drug therapy.Conclusion: The results provided support for the role of meta-cognitive therapy in reducing obsessive symptoms and modifying dysfunctional meta-cognitive beliefs.

Introduction: Prayer is one of the largest Islamic practices and the highest educational school homework Islam. Measure commitment to the obligatory prayers, using a valid tool is possible. This article introduces a scale that has made much practical attitude and commitment to prayer, the worshipers will measure.Method: Statistical community, including all staff Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences. Sample size 427 patients who were selected. Research tools, including External and Internal religious orientation Alport’s scale, and the scale of self examiner factor analysis method was used obtain operating test.Results: The results of this study showed that the reliability coefficient view point of interval consistency was (r = 0.92), and test retest coefficient in a week duration was (r = 0.96), and half split coefficient was (r = 0.87).Content validity and face validity assessed by the clergy, psychologist, and prayers .Also correlation of scale with religious beliefs and Alport’s scale External and Internal were respectively 0.61, 0.34 and 0.62.Conclusion: This scale, able to measure attitude and being bound to prayers in Moslems.. Also we can use it for scientific research, and cultural-religious programming. Keywords: practical obligation, religious scales, validity, reliability, Prayers, factor analysis, Alport’s scale.

Introduction: Resilience is a human ability to adapt in face of hardship and tragedy events. Individuals have different levels of resilience, which can be increased or decreased by different factors. Friendship can be considered as one of these factors. The aim of the present study is to determine the relation of friendship quality and friendship reciprocity with resilience.Method: The sample included 250 students (120 boys and 130 girls) of third-year students in high school selected by random cluster sampling from four areas of the city of Shiraz. They were assessed by three questionnaires: friendship quality, friendship reciprocity (Hejazi and Zahrevan, 1380) and resilience (Conner-Davidson, 2003).Results: The results showed a positive and significant relation between friendship quality, friendship reciprocity and resilience. Based on the results of stepwise regression analysis , self-disclosure, loyalty and confidence, proximity and friendship reciprocity are able to predict resilience changes .In relation with components of friendship quality, intimacy & self-disclosure and friendship reciprocity, girls have significant superiority to boys. Also the results showed girls are more resilient than boys.Conclusion: Friendship quality and friendship reciprocity can predict resilience. Therefore, encouraging adolescents to make reciprocal friendships can lead them to be more resilient. Also components of friendship quality, friendship reciprocity and resilience are different between two genders.

Introduction: Nowadays, using the Internet in various areas is increasing and the outcomes of using this communicative tool have drawn the attention of researchers in psychology and sociology fields. In this respect, the object of this research is to study the relation of family factors in the amount and ways of the Internet usage.Method: In this descriptive-correlation research, 4155 high school students were chosen country-wide in a multi-stage cluster sampling. Data collecting was done via a questionnaire which includes demography, family status and the amount and ways of Internet usage.Results: The amount of using the Internet for befriending, downloading pictures and films, chatting, music, games and sexual clips in order of appearance are: 37/8, 40, 31, 42, 31 and 31 percent. Also the rate of family members’ acquaintance with the Internet, the relationship between the family members and the family’s monitoring in respect of the amount of chatting, the amount of befriending websites’ usage, secretive chat, downloading music, using the Internet secretly, seeing pictures secretly and Internet befriending is statistically significant.Conclusion: Due to the possibility of causing trauma for teenagers because of abusing the Internet and the relation between Internet usage with family factors and variables, it is required to pay attention to immunizing family especially in a monitoring aspect.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive avoidance, post- event processing and social avoidance among university students.Method: Four-hundred (221 female, 179 male) students were selected randomly. Subjects completed 3 standardized scales: cognitive avoidance questionnaire (CAQ), post-event processing questionnaire (PEQ) and the phobic reaction scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression by SPSS 16 software.Results: The results showed significant positive correlation between post-event processing and cognitive avoidance (r=/042; p</0001). Also, correlation between thought suppression, thought substitution, transformation of images into thought and social anxiety were positive, but correlation between distraction, avoidance of threatening stimuli and social anxiety were not significant. Post-event processing and thought substitution was the best predictors and explained 16% of the variance in social anxiety.Conclusion: Social anxious people have cognitive processing about social relationships and post-event processing leads them to more anxiety and predict continuity of social anxiety. Awareness and cognitive therapy help them treat social anxiety and improve their social functioning.