KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2016 | Volume:16 | Issue:4 (62)|Papers Count:19

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of spiritual and existential group therapy on depression, death anxiety and belief in afterlife. The research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and a control group. The population consisted of all undergraduates in the University of Isfahan in 2014. Then, 16 students with high depression scores from the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al, 1961), high death anxiety scores from the Death Anxiety Scale (Templer, 1970) and low scores of afterlife belief from Islamic Belief about Fairly Afterlife (Golparvar et al, 2011) were selected via convenience sampling method. Then they were randomly assigned into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group participated in six sessions of group therapy while the control group did not receive any therapy. After post-test administration, the results of the covariance analysis showed a significant difference between post-test scores of the experimental and control groups on death anxiety (P<0.05). According to the results, it was concluded that combining existential and spiritual therapies along with descriptions of near-death experiences can have a significant impact on reducing death anxiety.

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of emotion regulation group training on perceived stress symptoms in women with breast cancer. The research was semi- experimental with pre-test – posttest design and a follow-up. The population included all the women who were diagnosed with less-than-a-year breast cancer. From among them, thirty women, who were referred to the Charity Center in Isfahan, volunteered to participate in the study, were sampled, and were randomly assigned to experimental group and control group. The former received emotion regulation group training, while the latter did not receive any training. The experimental group received training in 8 sessions (two 45-minute sessions a week). All participants answered the items related to stress in Depressive Anxiety Stress Scale-21 before and after training. Analysis of covariance was used to analyse data. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of experimental group and those of control group (P<0.05). Therefore, emotion regulation group training significantly reduced the symptoms of perceived stress in women with breast cancer.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of neurofeedback therapy on the performance of the elementary school students with learning disabilities within Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children. This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design. The statistical population was all the students with learning disability studying in the first to fifth grade of primary schools and referred to counseling and treatment centers in Isfahan in 2014. Among them, 15 students were selected through available sampling method. To collect data, the neurofeedback device and Wechsler Intelligence Test For Children (Form 4) were used. Students received 20 sessions of 45-minute neurofeedback treatment for 7-10 weeks. They responded to Wechsler Intelligent Test for children before and after the treatment as pre-test and post-test. The data were analyzed by dependent t-test. The results suggested that there was a significant relationship between the pre-test and post-test scores obtained from all the scales (P<0.05). Therefore it can be concluded that the neurofeedback therapy was effective in improving the performance of children with learning disability in Wechsler Intelligent Test for children.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of quality of life psychotherapy on blind girls’ mental health in Esfahan. The study was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, control group design and a follow up. The population consisted of all blind girls who had records in Isfahan Welfare Organization in 2014. Through convenience sampling, 40 blind girls were selected and randomly assigned into two groups, experimental and control. Experimental group received quality of life psychotherapy for 8 sessions (90 minutes each) and then, both groups completed SCL-90-R personality traits questionnaire (Dragotis et al, 1973). The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance. Time-varying effects of depression were significant, that is, the pre-test rate of depression in both groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). The interaction of time with the indicators of anxiety, obsession and hostility was significant (P<0.01). In other words, psychotherapy made a significant difference between experimental group and control group in the three indicators of anxiety, obsession and hostility in posttest and follow up.

The present study aimed to compare the effect of individual and group parenting skills training on life mothers’ life satisfaction. The research used a quasi-experimental design with pretest- posttest method. The population included 2112 mothers with children less than 12 years old under the support of health and therapeutic center in the city of Lenjan. The sample consisted of 60 mothers who were selected randomly and then randomly assigned into three groups twenty each. One group received parenting skills training individually and the other group received group training, while the third group received no training. Our research tool was the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Diener, 1985). To analyze data, analysis of covariance was used. The results showed that the groups who received training were significantly different in the post-test compared to pre-test regarding parenting style (P<0.05). Also, the difference between the two groups who received training was not significantly different in the post-test compared to pre-test. (P>0.05). Therefore, the effect of individual and group parenting skills training on mothers’ life satisfaction was similar.

The aim of this research was to predict rumination based on social and emotional adjustments in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research employed a correlational method. The statistical population comprised all patients with OCD who referred to public therapeutic clinics in Tehran in 2012. The sample consisted of 50 patients who were selected by available sampling method from patients who referred to Emam Hossein hospital. Ruminative Response Scale and Bell Adjustment Inventory were used to gather data. Data were analyzed by multiple regression analyses and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social and emotional adjustment can predict rumination significantly (P<0.05). So, using treatments to help patients to increase their social and emotional adjustments, we can prevent rumination in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The aim of this research was to investigate the role of Iranian religious coping in predicting mothers’ parenting stress with autistic children. The method of current research was descriptive-correlational and the population consisted of all mothers with autistic children who were educated and treated in Tehran during 2013-2014. Fifty mothers were selected as sample according to inclusion criteria using available sampling. Iranian Religious Coping Scale (Aguilar- Vafaie & Abyari 2007) and Parenting Stress Index questionnaire (Abidin 1995) administered to them. The obtained data were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the Iranian religious coping had a negative significant relationship with parenting stress (P=0.001). Iranian religious coping could predict 35 percent of variance of parenting stress. Iranian religious coping, mothers’ level of education and age had no impact on parenting stress.According to the results of present research, Iranian religious coping as a general and internal factor could help mothers of autistic children to improve their mental health.

The purpose of this study was to predict marital satisfaction of couples in Isfahan based on empathy and forgiveness. Of all the couples in Isfahan in 2011-2012, 100 couples were sampled through random cluster sampling. Our research tools included Enriching Marital Satisfaction Scale (1993), Emotional Empathy Scale (1972), and Family Forgiveness Scale (1998). Data analyzed with Pearson correlation and linear regression. Results showed that empathy and emotional forgiveness can predict cognitive satisfaction of couples (P<0.01). Also the couples’ ages could predict marital satisfaction. (P<0.05).

The purpose of the present research was to determine the effect of men's emotional intelligence on violence against women among married couples in Tabas. The research method was correlational. The population included all married couples who had at least one year of marital life in Tabas in 2014. From among them, 230 married couples (230 females and 230 males) were randomly selected via multi-stage cluster sampling from 5 areas of the city. Male partners completed Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Bradberry & Greaves, 2003) and female partners completed Violence against Women Questionnaire (Haj Yahia, 1999). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multi steps regression analysis. The results showed that the components of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management had significant effect on violence against women (P<0.01). Based on these results, men with high emotional intelligence impose less violent against their wives.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of transformational leadership style of supervisor on occupational injuries with the mediating role of safety consciousness, role overload and safety related events. The research was a correlational, structural equations modeling. The population consisted of all employees in Esfahan Steel Company in 2012. Through stratified random sampling 210 employees were selected. Research instruments were: Transformational Leadership Style Scale (Bass & Avolio 1990), Safety Consciousness Scale (Westaby & Lee 2003), Role Overload Scale (Beehr, Walsh & Taber, 1976), Safety-related Events Questionnaire (Barlingand et al., 2002) and Occupational Injuries Questionnaire (Barlingand et al., 2002). Data were analyzed by regression and structural equations modeling by LISREL software. To test the role of mediated effects, the Bootstrap procedure in the macro model of Preacher and Hayes (2008) was used. Findings revealed acceptable effects of all variables in the study (P<0.05). Also, the indirect effects of transactional leadership style on occupational injuries with mediating role of safety events; with mediating role of safety consciousness and safety events; and with mediating role of role overload and safety events were studied (P<0.05).

The purpose of this study was to predict perceived performance of employees through Organizational Intelligence Components in the Electricity Distribution Company of Isfahan Province. The research was a correlational study. The population consisted of all employees in the Isfahan Electricity Distribution Company. Among all, 133 people were sampled using simple random sampling. The research tools consisted of Albrecht's Organizational Intelligence Questionnaire (2003) and the Perceived Performance Questionnaire (researcher-made). The data were analyzed through Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that there were positive and significant relationships between all components of organizational intelligence and perceived performance of employees (P<0.001). The results of stepwise regression analysis indicated that three components i.e application of knowledge, the willingness to change and the pressure of performance were the best predictors of employees’ perceived performance and could predict 60.8% of employees’ perceived performance at the level of (P<0.01). But strategic perspective, common fate, morale and being a unionist weren’t able to predict perceived performance of employees.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of various aspects of religious belief including rituals, emotional and consequential aspects on the happiness of elementary teachers in the working environment. This was a descriptive correlational study. The population under study consisted of 690 teachers in district 2 of the Ministry of Education and Training of Isfahan. From among them, 250 teachers through random stratified sampling were selected. The instruments were the Religion Assessment questionnaire (by Serajzadeh, 1998) taken from Stark and Glark measuring four dimensions (beliefs, rituals, emotional and consequential aspects) and the Oxford Happiness questionnaire (by Argyle, 1990). Data were analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. It was found that the relationship between ritual and consequential aspects with happiness was significant. (P<0.001)