KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2015 | Volume:16 | Issue:2 (60)|Papers Count:16

Investigating the effect of mental workload on managers' control performance while covariating the personality characteristics was the aim of the current experimental research. The statistical sample included 21 randomly selected of staff managers in Isfahan Province Gas Company. In addition to presenting the NEO Personality questionnaire (Casta & McCrea, 1992), the participants control performance in response to managerial tasks (researcher made) in different situations of mental workload with different manipulated timing were measured. The results of repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant effect of mental workload on control performance. While covariating the characteristics of extroversion, openness and agreeableness from the process had a profound change and resulted in non-significant effects (P=0.480, P=0.731, and P=0.623, respectively). Based on the results, it is possible to predict performance of managers on the basis of their mental workload and their personality characteristics more precisely.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional eating of obese women in Isfahan. The research used a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a one month follow up. Through convenience sampling method, 30 women with an obesity diagnosis were selected and then, were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. All participants completed the Dutch Eating Behaviors Questionnaire (Forman & Herbert, 2009) before intervention, at the end of the intervention and one month after intervention. The intervention involved 8 sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy, each lasting for 90 minutes, which were administered only to the experimental group. Results of covariance analysis showed a significant decrease in the amount of emotional eating in the eating behavior subscale at the post-test, and follow up stages (P<0.05). In the eating desire subscale, there was a significant difference between the mean of experimental group and control group only in the follow up stage (P<0.05). The findings of this study confirmed the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional eating of obese women.

This study was to determine the relationship between cognitive-meta cognitive strategies and students' academic performances, discipline, occupation, drug use and the number of their probation semesters. Method of study was descriptive and correlation. Statistical population included all students in the first semester of Azad University, Yadegar-e-Emam RH Branch (Ray city) in 2013-2014. (N=22904). Sample was selected by random stratified sampling method (N=378). Personal information and (MSLQ) motivational strategies for learning questionnaires were research instruments. For data analysis, regression, Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test and One-way ANOVA were used. The results indicated that there was a positive significant relationship between usage of cognitive-meta cognitive strategies and academic performance (P<0.05). Considering students’ occupation, discipline and the number of their probation semesters, there was a significant relationship between students’ cognitive-meta cognitive strategies usage and their academic performances (P<0.05). But considering gender and drug usage, there was no significant relationship.

The present study aimed to examine the effect of forgiveness-based group counseling on adjustment and quality of life in women referring to counseling centers in Najafabad town. The research was semi-empirical with pretest-posttest and control group design. Statistical population included women with marital problems who were referred to counseling centers in Najafabad town in the Spring of 2014. At first, 3 out of 5 counseling centers in Najafabad were selected through simple sampling method. Then, 36 persons were selected through convenience sampling method as the sample and were randomly assigned into one experimental and one control group (each group, 18 persons). After administering pretest to both experimental and control groups by Social Adjustment Questionnaire (Bell, 1961) and Quality of life Scale (World Health Organization, 1996), the experimental group received 8 weekly sessions of forgiveness-based counseling training. Finally, posttest was administered by the same measures to both groups. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that forgiveness-based counseling had a significant effect on quality of life (P≤0.05). Also, the training had a significant effect on improving womens’s adjustment (P≤0.01). The results of the study may be used to improve women’s adjustment and quality of life.

The purpose of this study was to compare social support and social anxiety of mothers of children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism with mothers of normal children in Isfahan in 2013 (1392s.c.). A causal-comparative study was used in this research. The research sample which was selected randomly consisted of 90 mothers of children with special needs (30 mothers of children with down syndrome, 30 mothers of children with  autism and 30 mothers of children with cerebral palsy) and 30 mothers of normal children attending primary schools in Isfahan. To collect the data, Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck, 1981) and Social Phobia Inventory (Conner et al., 2000) were used. The results of multivariate analysis of variance indicated that there were significant differences between mothers of children with special needs and mothers of normal children in social support and social anxiety (P<0.001). Furthermore, comparisons showed that mothers having a child with autism suffered the social anxiety more than mothers having a child with  Down syndrome or a child with cerebral palsy (P<0.001). Finally mothers of children with autism experienced the highest level of social anxiety compared to the rest of mothers studied in the research (P<0.001).

The aim of this study was to examine the role of need for cognition and pre-training self-efficacy in prediction of learning motivation in volunteers of the education courses in the University of Isfahan entrepreneurship center. The research method was correlation. The statistical population included all the volunteers who participated in the courses of the University of Isfahan entrepreneurship center since the establishment of the center until now, but because of lack of access to all of them, the sample (164 people) composed of trainees available in Fall 2012 and Winter 2013. Participants completed the Need for Cognition Scale (Cacioppo, Petty & Kao, 1984), Pre-training Self-efficacy Scale (Quinones, 1995), and Motivation to Learn Scale (Noe & Wilk, 1993). The data analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. The results of the end step of regression analysis showed that variables of pre-training self-efficacy and need for cognition are able to predict learning motivation, and generally explain 37 percent of learning motivation (P<0.05).

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of group cognitive-behavioral therapy on sleep quality of the elderly. This research was a semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design. Of all the elderly with sleep problem, who were members of retirement census in Kermanshah city in the year (2014), 30 people through purposive sampling procedure were selected and randomly assigned into the experimental (15 people) and the control (15 people) groups. The experimental group received eight 90-min. sessions of group cognitive-behavioral therapy, and control group received no treatment, Both groups completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse, 1989) at pretest and posttest. The data were analyzed using (ANCOVA). The mean difference of scores in sleep quality components of experiment group, after the intervention, showed that cognitive-behavioral treatment lead to improved sleep quality in five components including subjective sleep quality (P<0.001), sleep latency (P<0.001), sleep duration (P<0.001), sleep efficiency (P<0.001), and sleep disturbance (P<0.001). The result of the research showed that cognitive-behavioral treatment, can lead to promotion of sleep quality in the elderly. So, the findings suggest that, therapeutic personnel and nurses can use this sort of therapy in elderly domain.

This study aimed to examine the effect of cognitive -behavioral group training on aggression and sensation seeking rates among female martial artists in Amol city. The research was experimental in the form of field study. The statistical population included all the 12-25 year-old female martial artists in Amol city during 2009-2010. From the eligible 40 persons were selected and randomly assigned into one control group (20 persons) and one experimental group (20 individuals). For data collection, Sensation Seeking Scale (Zuckerman, 1979) and Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992) were used. The cognitive- behavioral group training program was administered in six 90-minute sessions, once a week, for the experimental group. At the end of the training program, posttest was conducted for both experimental and control groups. The results, by using multivariate ANCOVA, showed that the effect of cognitive-behavioral group training have been significant (P≤0.0005). In other words, the cognitive-behavioral group training led to the reduction in aggression and sensation seeking rates in the experimental group, as compared with the control group.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of training with emotion focused method approach on marital intimacy. This study employed a semi-experimental method and used a pre-test, post-test design with experimental and control groups. Statistical population of this study included all parents of primary and secondary students in Bandar Abbas city in the academic year of 2013-2014 (1392-93s.c.). From among 185 couples who were registered to participate in the study, 97 couples who had received low scores in components of Love questionnaire, were selected by purposive sampling method. Then, 40 couples were selected randomly and assigned in the experimental (20 couples) and control (20 couples) groups. The tools of this study were Triangular Love Questionnaire or Components of Love (Sternberg, 1997), and participants’ demographic information. The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance. The results showed that emotion focused method training approach increased couples intimacy significantly and positively (P<0.05). It was concluded that emotion focused training approach can be used to increase marital intimacy.

The purpose of the present research was to predict marital satisfaction based on factors of family process and content among elementary school teachers in Karaj city. Research method was descriptive and correlation. The statistical population were all the married elementary schools teachers in Karaj city in the academic year of 2014-2015. 358 people were selected as the sample through random cluster sampling based on the Morgan table. To collect the, data Marital Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976), Family Process Scale (Samani, 2007/1387s.c.) and Family Content Scale (Samani, 2007/1387s.c.) were used. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. The results of stepwise regression showed that, components of family process including decision making and problem solving, communication skills, family solidarity and coping skills, except religious beliefs. can predict marital satisfaction. (P<0.001). Also, it was shown that family content components including financial sources, time for being together, occupation and education, physical and mental health and social prestige, except living location and educational facilities, can predict marital satisfaction (P<0.001).

The aim of the present study was to predict students’ psychological health based on their gender role conflict. The type of study was descriptive- correlation. Participants were 200 male students of Mohaghegh Ardabili University which were selected by multi stage cluster sampling method. The Scale of Gender Role Conflict (Wester et al., 2012) and Psychological Health Scale (Goldberg and Hillier, 1979) were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis. The results showed that components of success, power, competition, limited affectivity, and conflict between work and family relationship were effective on anxiety and insomnia components, social dysfunction and depression (P<0.01), but not on somatization. Also, 64% of the variance in students general health is explained by gender role conflict. Based on these results, individuals with less gender role conflict have better and greater psychological health.

This study aimed to explain the role of mental health on academic performance of students with the meditation of academic achievement motivation. The research method was descriptive and the design was correlation of the kind of structural equation modeling. Statistical population was 4020 university students in Birjand University. Through stratified random sampling and cocran's formula, 351 students were selected as the sample. Mental Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972) and Academic Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (Hoseini et al., 2008/1387s.c.) and academic mean scores were used to collect the data. Correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations between mental health and academic achievement motivation, (P<0.01), academic achievement motivation and academic performance (P<0.01) and depression and academic performance (P<0.01). Structural equation modeling of mental health, academic achievement motivation and academic performance with respect to fit indices were confirmed and also the results showed that mental health had effect on academic achievement motivation (y=0.62). Also, academic achievement motivation was effective on academic performance (b=0.44). Finally, mental health had effect on students academic performance with the meditation of academic achievement motivation (y=0.51).