Applied Psychology
Year:2016 | Volume:10 | Issue:2 (38) |Papers Count:9

Aim: The aim of the present research was to specify the effectiveness of mindfulness on reducing anxiety and blood sugar of patients with diabetes and BIS personality type. Method: The method of this study was quasiexperimental with pre-test, post-test, control group, and a two-month followup. From among 225 patients referred to Tehran Ekbatan Diabetes Association in the summer of 2015, 30 participants were selected by means of convenient sampling method, and were randomly assigned to two groups (N= 15 in each group). Research tools consisted of Wilson’ s personality\questionnaire (Wilson, Barrett & gray, 1989), Beck and Steer’ s anxiety questionnaire (1990), and Kaban-Zin’ s (2005) treatment mindfulness training based on stress reduction, which was performed in eight sessions, each session lasting 120 minutes, once a week. Co-variance method and frequent measurement were employed for statistical analysis. Results: Results indicated that mindfulness training significantly reduced reports of anxiety (F= 25. 06, P= 0. 001) as well as blood sugar level (F= 20. 22, P= 0. 002). Results obtained from post-test and follow-up phases showed that stress reduction mindfulness training reduced the amount of anxiety and blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: It is strongly recommended that training based on mindfulness and a nonjudgmental approach to situational appraisals could be a useful method alongside medical treatment in reducing anxiety and blood sugar level in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus.

Aim: Aim of this study was to identify and determine some of the hope predictors. Thus, according to theory and research background, religious orientation and time perspective was assumed as predictors. Method: Method was a correlational study, and statistical population included all 28 thousand male and female students of Islamic Azad University of Karaj branch. Was selected 600 students from 10 colleges by accessible sampling method, and were given them Allport religious orientation scale in 1963; Zimbardo time perspective inventory in 1999; and Snyder adult hope scale in 1991. 434 questionnaires were returned and then removed 22 tampered questionnaires and outliers’ data. The data from 412 patients were analyzed through hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: Findings showed that among the dimensions of religious orientation, internal religious dimension (β = 0. 199, P= 0. 001), and also from time perspective, present hedonistic (β = 0. 173, P= 0. 001) and future (β = 0. 366, P= 0. 001) can predict hope positively, and past negative (β =-0. 205, P= 0. 001) and present fatalistic (β =-0. 263, P= 0. 001) can predict hope negatively; but external religious orientation ((β = 0. 030, P= 0. 412) and the positive (β = 0. 027, P= 0. 479) are not able to predict hope. Conclusion: According to results holding workshops for continuous training to strengthen the internal religious orientation and time favorable outlook for students and other groups, it seems to be useful and necessary.

Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of psychotherapy based on life quality on perceived social support of infertile women. Method: The research method was quasi experimental with pre and post-test design with control group and a one month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all infertile women in Arak Royan center in 2015-2016. 32 patients were chosen based on patient availability. They were peered in accordance with research standards and were placed randomly in either an experimental or a control group. The research tool was Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley’ s (1988) perceived social support test and five sessions of group therapy based on quality of life of Frish, 2006. This was done once a week and each session lasted 90 minutes. Data was analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that psychotherapy based on quality of life increased perceived social support in the experimental group (F= 33. 09, P= 0. 001) and the treatment result remained constant during the followup period (F= 0. 087, P= 0. 001). Conclusion: The therapeutic plan of life quality can be used as an effective way to improve perceived social support in infertile women in promoting their mental health.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of parenting style and adjustment in student membership in networks and its relationship with pre university student performance. Method: A correlational research method was used. The target population was 350 pre-university male students in the city of Birjand in eastern Iran. Of these, 80 students were selected from Birjand’ s Tizhooshan bright students’ high school. Among 270 traditional students who were studing in eight public schools; 175 cases were selected from four public schools using random cluster sampling. The names of those schools were Shahid Shahab, Imam Hossein (PBUH), Shahid Chamran, and Ayatollah Taleghani. The Baumrind's parenting styles questionnaire (1971) was completed by parents and Sinha and Singh's adjustment questionnaire 1993 was completed by students. Eta test and logistic regression model were used to analyze data. Results: Finding revealed that there was no relationship between student membership and achievement (Eta= 0. 079, P= 0. 752). Authoritarian parenting style (Wald= 11. 087, P<0. 01) and student social adjustment (Wald= 10. 786, P<0. 01) were meaningful predictors of student membership in social networks; permissive (P= 0. 114) and authoritative (P= 0. 823) styles were not significant predictors. Also, the correlation between social adjustment and networking was negative (Beta=-0. 143, P<0. 01) finding revealed no significant relationship between emotional adjustment and student membership. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is necessary to make parents aware of their parenting styles and their effects on students’ enrolment in social networks. It is also essential to improve student’ s social relationship with their peers in schools in order to boost their social adjustment.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of organizational intelligence social empowerment and the promotion of individual and group intelligence, based on the Albrecht model. Method: A descriptive exploratory study was designed where the population consisted of all managers and experts from the department of social welfare in the city of Shahrood in north east Iran in spring of 2015. This included 55 participants. Instruments used were the Albrecht organizational intelligence test (2003) and a researcher mande hierarchical questionnaire designed for weighting factors based on factor analysis. Results: The findings from the analysis of 50 completed questionnaires, showed that organizational intelligence was above average (t= 9. 673, P= 0. 0001). Weights for each component were as follows: Common fate = 0. 243, strategic insight = 0. 220, morale = 0. 155, unity and consensus = 0. 124, willingness to change = 0. 108, application of knowledge = 0. 107 and pressure to perform= 0. 043. Conclusion: These results indicate that the Albrecht organizational intelligence scale is suitable for use in research in industrial and organizational psychology and managers can use this scale in order to identify and achieve the mission and goals set by their respective organization. It is obvious that significantly more importance should be attached to components with higher weights since these components play a more salient role in promoting individual and group performance in educational, occupational and social functioning.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the learning styles and locus of control of different academic groups of university students. Method: The study method was causal-comparative and the statistical population consisted of 6992 undergraduate students at University of Tabriz in the groups of humanities, basic sciences, engineering and medical sciences which via relative ratio stratified random sampling method, 363 individuals were selected. The measuring tools were Kolb (1999) learning styles and locus of control inventory of Rutter 1966. The data were analyzed using chi-square and oneway ANOVA. Results: The humanities students had accommodate learning style, the basic sciences students had convergent learning style, the engineering students had divergent learning style and the medical students had assimilator learning style ( 2= 72. 43, P= 0. 001). The locus of control of the students with accommodate learning style was most external relative to other groups (F= 11. 161, P= 0. 001) and the students of engineering relative to other groups and medical sciences were most external relative to humanities group (F= 64. 526, P= 0. 001). Conclusion: Since identification of the learning styles can be effective in shaping internal and external locus of control and the changing incompatible attributions, hence teaching and learning styles should be proportionate with the learning styles of each academic groups in order that the students succeed in educational and occupational experiences via learning their field of study principles and achieve self-esteem.

Aim: The aim of this study was to survey the citation of articles published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in Shahid Beheshti University. Methods: An applied research method using the survey method for data collection was used. The study population included 19 issues of the Iranian Journal of Applied Psychology including numbers 17-35 covering the years 2011-2015. The total number of citations in these 19 number is considered to be approximately equal to 4389, by using table of Krejcie-Morgan 1970, the number of 350 citations were chosen with 96% confidence level to determine the authenticity of the documents complying with recommendations suggested by the American Psychological Association (APA). Data collection tool used was a checklist based on research conducted by Azade, Vaez & Gharib (2009). Results: Results indicated that of 516 citations, 367 citations had no citation error. Among the published issues in the Iranian Journal of Applied Psychology, citations of issue number 35 had a better status. In terms of the number of errors, citation errors occurred more for articles than for books and also Latin sources suffered more citation errors than Persian sources. Conclusions: Results showed that citation accuracy of the Iranian Journal of Applied Psychology was better than other similar journals. It is argued that this may be due to the emphasis and insistence of journal staff on adhering to the standards of the APA in article writing and presentation of resources.