Applied Psychology
Year:2017 | Volume:11 | Issue:2 (42) |Papers Count:8

Aim: The aim of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of treatment base on acceptance and commitment (ACT) on hope and happiness of female adolescents under the protection of the Hamedan Welfare Organization. Method: The research method was quasi experimental with control group and pre-test, post-test and follow-up design and the statistical population consisted of 73 females in the Taranome Mohabat and the Golhaye Nasim welfare centers. Based on availability, 30 adolescents were selected and placed in two experimental and control groups. Research tools were Snyder's hope Questionnaires (1991) and Oxford's happiness scale (Argyle, 2001). A treatment program based on acceptance and commitment (Hayes and Rose, 2008) was performed on participants. The questionnaires were performed in three stages in both groups. The treatment program was performed for eight sessions of 90 minutes duration once a week for the experimental group. Data was analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures. Results: The results showed that the treatment based on acceptance and commitment increased hope (F=4. 762, P=0. 012), agency thinking (F=6. 028, P=0. 001), strategic thinking (F=4. 403, P=0. 017) and happiness (F=3. 346, P=0. 042). These effects remained constant in the follow-up phase. Conclusion: Since the treatment base on acceptance and commitment leads to psychological flexibility and commitment to perform actions that may lead to a fulfilling, rich and meaningful life, it can be used as an effective intervention method to create and increase hope and happiness of clients, especially adolescent girls.

Aim: The purpose of present study was to investigate the effect of moral intelligence teaching based on storytelling method on temperament and learning behaviors of elementary girl students. Method: This study was a semi-experimental research with two-group and post-pretest and follow up. Among all girl students of 2th grade of elementary schools in Ardakan city at 1393-94 school year, 36 students were selected by available sampling and randomly assigned in experimental and control groups. In study group, participants received 12 sessions of moral intelligence intervention based on storytelling method and control group received no intervention. Data gathered by teacher forms of EAS temperament survey (Buss & Plomin, 1984) and learning behaviors scale (McDermott & et al, 2000) and analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measures. Results: The findings show that temperament and learning behaviors of students in study group were improved than control group (p<. 01). This incensement is persistent until follow-up (p<. 01). Conclusion: This results implied that of moral intelligence teaching based on storytelling method is useful for improvement of learning activities and temperaments of children.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of LEGO therapy on social skills and symptoms reduction in children with high-functioning Autism (HFA). Method: The study followed a single-subject design. The statistical population included 65 children with HFA (aged between 6 to10 years), 10 of which were selected through the convenience sampling from two centers: The center for the treatment of Autistic disorders (CTAD) and Behara Center for the treatment of Autistic disorders. The sample divided into small groups. Each group received 16 sessions of LEGO play. The duration of each session was about 60 minutes, twice a week. The assessments were repeated six times: Two baselines with two weeks interval, in the 8th session, one day after the end of the treatment and two follow-up sessions (two weeks and one month after termination of intervention). Gilliam Autism rating scale (Gilliam, 1995) and Autism social skills profile (Bellini and Bellini, ASSP; Bellini & Hopf, 2007) were administered during assessments. Data analyses included visual analyses/charts and effect sizes. Results: Results have shown that social skill scores have increased in the sample. The symptoms of autism (social interaction/communication problems) declined, while no change has observed in repetitive behavior score. The effect sizes have also shown that LEGO therapy could be effective in improving social skills and reducing the communication deficiencies in children with HFA. Conclusion: The results of this study support the role of LEGO therapy in improving social skills and social competence in children with HFA.

Aim: Aim of this study was to determine amount of the relationship among parents and peers’ attachment and adolescent’ emotional maturity and the mediating role of peers’ attachment, Methods: Method was correlational and the statistical population consisted of 3553 male and female students aged 16-18 years from 96 public high schools in the Tehran region in the 2015-16 academic year, Based on the Krejcie and Morgan’ s (1970) table, sample size of 500 participants were estimated and were selected by convenient sampling method from two male high schools and two female high schools, and six classes from each high school were chosen, Data was gathered through inventory of parents and peers attachment revised (IPPA-R) by Armsden & Greenberg (1987), and emotional maturity scale (EMS) by Singh & Bhargava (1974), After removing defaced data of 159 participants and unusable data of seven participants, data for 334 people were analyzed, Results: Findings indicated that there was a relationship among attachment to mother (r=-0, 292, P=0, 004, ) and attachment to father (r=-0, 337, P=0, 004, ), and peers’ attachment (r=-0, 292, P=0, 008, ) with adolescents' emotional maturity scores, Overall, peer and father attachment explained 14 percent of the variances of adolescents' emotional maturity (P=0, 001) and peer attachment had a mediating role in the relationship between parents’ attachment and emotional maturity (β =-0/181, P=0, 005), Conclusion: In order to prevent and treat adolescents' psychosocial problems, more attention should be paid to the impact of adolescent peer attachment and their emotional health,

Aim: The purpose of the present research was to determine the role of perception of family environments and personality characteristics in bullying behavior. Method: The research method was descriptive and correlational and the statistical population included all secondary school students in the city of Kamyaran in the academic year 2013-2014 (N= 2100). Using stratified random sampling and based on Cochran’ s formula, 330 students (144 girls and 186 boys) were selected by proportional assignment. Three questionnaires were used: Grolnick, Deci & Ryan’ (1997) perception of parent environments, Eysenck personality test (1975) and Olweus’ bullying scale (1996). After removing three flawed questionnaires, data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: Results showed that total path coefficients among bullying behavior with father warmth (β =-0. 39, P=0. 01) and mother warmth (β =-0. 67, P=0. 001), father support (β =-0. 64, P=0. 001) and mother support (β =-0. 51, P=0. 003) and father involvement. (β =-0. 57, P=0. 002) mother involvement (β =-0. 67, P=0. 001) and perception of parent environments (β =-0. 98, P=0. 01) with bullying behavior were negative and significant. Total path coefficients among neuroticism (β =0. 08, P=0. 01), psychoticism (β =0. 09, P=0. 001) and personality characteristics (β =0. 28, P=0. 01) were significantly positive with students’ bullying behavior. In the analysis of structural model, all indicators showed a good fit with the model. Conclusion: Given that children’ s positive perception of family environments reduce bullying behaviors, it is suggested that programs be developed and implemented for family education with the aim of improving the quality of parent-child relationships so that the risk of adolescents bulling behaviors may be minimized.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the role of personality traits and goal-orientation in predicting students’ stress coping strategies. Method: Method was correlational and statistical population included all 4458 undergraduate students of Islamic Azad University Behbahan branch in 2015-2016 academic year. Sample size was determined as 540 in accordance with Klein’ s (2011) criteria, which was approximately 3. 5 time more than number of research tools items. Sample was selected based on multistage random cluster sampling method from the three fields of experimental sciences, humanities, and mathematics. From each field of study three classes were randomly selected and students completed the short version of Goldberg’ s Big five personality factors questionnaire (1999; Khormaei & Farmani 2012), achievement goals questionnaire of Elliot and McGregore (2001), and stressful situations coping strategies of Andler & Parker (1990). After eliminating 11 cases of incomplete questionnaires and six outliers, data for 523 subjects were analyzed. Results: Results showed that neuroticism negatively and significantly and openness to experience, task-orientation, and performance-orientation positively and significantly predicted problem-focused coping strategy. Neuroticism and mastery avoidance positively and significantly and agreeableness and task-orientation negatively and significantly predicted emotion-focused coping strategy. Avoidant coping strategy was predicted negatively and significantly through neuroticism, and positively and significantly through extraversion and performance-orientation. Conclusion: Focusing on developing personality traits such as openness to experience and conscientiousness in students, and encouraging them to have performance goal-orientation approach in order to help them in selection of problem-focused coping strategy for appropriate stress management is very important.

Aim: The aim of the study was determining factor structure and psychometric properties of the academic competence evaluation scale in female teenage students. Method: Study design was descriptive and statistical population included female second secondary school students in the city of Tehran in 2016 (N=49421). Using multistage random sampling, 120 students in the first stage and 450 students in the second stage were selected from eight education authorities and from each authority two high schools were selected. The tools of the study were the academic competence evaluation scale by Diperna & Elliott (1999), the achievement emotions questionnaire by Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, & Perry (2002). The GPA of students were also used as a dependent variable. After 25 distorted questionnaires and two outlier subjects were excluded, data analysis was performed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Findings related to construct validity of academic competence evaluation scale showed that the correlation coefficient of reading/language skills, mathematics skills, critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, classroom engagement, motivation and study skills components with negative achievement emotion respectively were-0. 446,-0. 527,-0. 358,-0. 321,-0. 463,-0. 445 &-0. 275 and with positive achievement emotion respectively were 0. 283, 0. 350, 0. 346, 0. 288, 0. 415, 0. 480 & 0. 374 and significant in 0. 001 level. Conclusion: Academic competence evaluation scale has acceptable reliability and validity and that it can be used to assess the academic competence as well as the prevalence of negative emotions in Iranian female teenage students.