KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2016 | Volume:17 | Issue:3 (65)|Papers Count:23

The aim of this study was to predict divergent thinking based on intelligence and personality dimensions among students of SAMA Technical College of Karaj in 2012-2013. The research method was descriptive and correlational. The population was 1600 SAMA Technical and Vocational Training college male students in Karaj. Then, 157 students were selected through applying random sampling of population method Levy and Lemeshow (1999). The instruments consisted of Raven's Progressive Matrices (Raven, 1937), NEO-Five Factor Inventory for Personality (Costa & McCrea, 1992) and Learning Style Inventory (Kolb, 1984). Data was analyzed by using multiple regression analysis. Results showed that intelligence and two personality dimensions (extraversion and openness) were capable of predicting the divergent thinking (P<0.05). Personality dimensions like neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were not capable of predicting the divergent thinking of the students.

The aim of the current study was to explain the role of dimensions of personality extraversion and neuroticism on happiness with the Meditation of emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing through structural equation modeling. This study was a correlation study using causal modeling. Statistical population was 8670 B.A. students in Isfahan University and Isfahan University of Technology.410 students were selected through multi-stage random cluster sampling. The instruments were Happiness Inventory (Argyle, 1989), psychological well-being (Ryff, 1989), NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992), Emotional intelligence (Bar-on, 2000). The data were analyzed with covariance based structural equation modeling approach (software Amos) with path analysis method. Results showed that the direct effect of extraversion, neuroticism, emotional intelligence and psychological well-being on happiness were significant (P<0.05). Also Indirect effect extraversion and neuroticism on happiness if the mediator variables were emotional intelligence and psychological well-being were significant (P<0.05). In addition indirect effect of emotional intelligence on happiness if psychological well-being was mediator was significant (P<0.05). As a result, happiness can be predicted due to dimensions of personality, emotional intelligence and psychological well- being.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindful parenting education on child’s behaviour problems and parenting stress among mothers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children whose age ranged from 6 to 13 in Isfahan. The population included all mothers of ADHD children in range of 6-13 years clinical and counselling centers of Isfahan in summer and autumn in 2015. The design of the study was quasi-experimental or more specifically pre-test, post-test control group design. Thus, 20 mothers of ADHD children were selected through available sampling technique and were randomly divided in two groups of experimental and control (10 for each). Participants completed two questionnaires including Child Behavior Checklist (Aachen Bach, 1991) and Parenting Stress (Aybydyn and Solis, 1991). The treatment, namely mindful parenting education was administered to the experimental group in 8 sessions over 8 weeks. The results of the multivariate covariance analysis of data indicated that, in post-test, mindful parenting education was effective in reducing behavioral disorders of children and in reducing parenting stress within child and parent domain. This was also persistent significantly in one month follow up stage (P<0.05).The findings of the study support the view that mindful parenting education and drug therapy can help reduce behavioral problems in children with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder and parenting stress of their mothers.

This study was aimed at investigating the effectiveness of the group therapy using transactional analysis in couples’ communication patterns. The target population consisted of all couples referring to one of the psychological clinics in Mashhad to receive expert help on marital issues. Then, 16 couples were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The experimental group underwent 8 two-hour sessions of transactional analysis therapy. Measurement instrument in the study was Communication Patten Questionnaire (Christensen & Sullaway, 1984). All couples completed it at pre, post, and three-month follow-up treatment stages. The data has been analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).according to the findings, the males’ constructive mutual communication pattern of experimental group increased significantly in post-test and follow-up stage compared to the control group (P<0.05). The results revealed that TA group therapy has a significant impact on increasing mutual constructive communication pattern and such an approach can be applied to family intervention.

The main propose of this study was to compare the anxiety sensitivity and coping stress strategies between patients with non-cardiac chest pain, cardiac disease and healthy individuals. An ex-post- facto design was used as the research design. The population included all patients with noncardiac and cardiac chest pain who referred to Shiraz health centers in 2013. Subjects were 50 cardiac patients (28 females and 22 males), 50 patients with non-cardiac chest Pain (29 females and 21 males) and 50 people as normal matched group (27 female and 23 male) within 22 to 81 years old age range who were selected through purposive sampling method. The instruments for data collection consisted of Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Taylor & Cox, 1998), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (Parker & Endler, 1990), and a researcher-made demographic information checklist. Then the data was analyzed with one way analysis of variance and chi square. Results indicated that both cardiac and non- cardiac chest pain patients significantly are lower than normal matched group in using problem solving coping strategies (P<0.01) and higher in using emotional (P<0.01) and avoidance coping strategies (P<0.05). Results also indicated that non-cardiac chest pain patients showed highest sensitivity to all 6 subscales and normal group showed lowest sensitivity. In this regard, patients with cardiac disease could stand between the two groups and both groups of patients were significantly different from the normal healthy group (P<0.05). As a conclusion, psychological variables such as anxiety sensitivity and coping stress strategies can predict pain frequency, severity and treatment seeking especially for patients with Non –cardiac chest pain.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of work-family relationship conflict causal relationship on burnout with mediating role of life quality and job satisfaction based on structural equation modeling. The research method was correlational. The population included all company staffs Sarkhoon & Qeshm Gas Treating from whom 200 participants were selected by stratified random sampling and were asked to complete the Work- Family Conflict questionnaire (Netmeyer et al., 1996), Quality of Life scale (World Health Organization, 1996), Job Descriptive Index (Smith et al., 1969), and Burnout questionnaire (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). Data analysis and evaluation of the proposed model were conducted by AMOS-21. The results showed that work-family conflict, both directly and indirectly, has been effective on burnout through the quality of life and job satisfaction. Also, the work-family conflict directly had an impact on the quality of life and job satisfaction. The research findings indicated that there was a significant negative impact of life quality and job satisfaction on burnout and a significant positive influence of life quality on job satisfaction (P<0.01). The overall model results indicated that the model parameters have appropriate fitness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of solution-focused counseling on sexual satisfaction and family function of women in Isfahan. The study was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest, experimental group and control group design. The population included women holding at least a high school diploma about 20-40 years old who referred to counseling centers at least one year after their marriage in 2013. From among them, 30 women were selected randomly and placed in experimental and control group. The research instruments were Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire LSSQ (Larson, 1998) and Family Functioning Scale FFS, (Mark L. Tavithian, 1987). Solution-focused counseling was applied to experimental group through six two-hour sessions. The data were analyzed by the analysis of covariance through SPSS. Results revealed that solution-focused counseling was effective in sexual satisfaction of women and family's function (P<0.01). As a result this method can be used in prevention and improvement of sexual and family problems of women in counseling centers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Barlow’s cognitive–affective counseling on the improvement of sexual frigidity on married women in Isfahan in 2014. The design of the research was quasi-experimental with pre- and post-test. The population included all the married women in Isfahan. A sample of 30 women, then, with the lowest score in sexual function was selected and assigned into two groups, experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) through voluntary sampling method. The research instruments consisted of Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (Rosen et.al, 2000). The experimental group received 8 sessions of cognitive-affective counseling. The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance. The results showed that the effectiveness of Barlow’s sexual cognitive-affective counseling on women’s sexual frigidity treatment was significant (P=0.01). As a result, to improve any of the females’ sexual components, Barlow’s cognitive-affective counseling can be used.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of reward and involuntary behaviors, perceived organizational support, leader-member exchange, organizational citizenship behavior, emotional commitment and performance of the staff education was conducted in Isfahan. In order to collect research data, the distributive, procedural justice, participation, appreciation and attention, potential rewards, punishment is unlikely, organizational citizenship behavior, perceived organizational support, leader-member exchange, emotional commitment and performance were. Data from the study were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that distributive justice, procedural justice, participation, appreciation and perceived organizational support for leader-member exchange, distributive justice, reward and punishment improbable possible and OCB the leader-member exchange and the exchange of leader-member and behavior organizational citizenship on task performance, organizational support and emotional commitment levels (P£0.01) have a significant impact. The conceptual model was fitted. Indicators approved the model is based on research data.

The aim of this research was to predict academic achievement by learning approaches and perception of the classroom goal among graduate students of IAU, Ahvaz Branch. It was a correlational study. The population consisted of all graduate students of Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz in 2015. The sample consisted of 384 male and female students who were selected using random stratified sampling. The instruments included Study Approaches Questionnaire (Marton and Saljo, 1976) and Perception of Classroom Goal Scale (Urdan and Midgley, 2000). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. The last step of stepwise regression showed the two variables namely deep approach and surface approach to learning are able to predict students’ progress and overall can explain 38% of the variance in academic achievement (P<0.05).

The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of teaching positive parenting program (Triple-P) on self-control skills of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in primary schools. This semi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, with control group design. Population included all mothers who consecutively referred to the child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of Isfahan in 2014_2015 academic year and had at least one child with clinically diagnosed ADHD within the age range of 6 to 12. Then, 30 mothers were selected through convenient sampling method and randomly allocated in one experimental and one control group (15 each). The research instrument was the Self-control Questionnaire (Kendall and Wilcox’s, 1979). The experimental group received group psychotherapy for 8 sessions and the questionnaire was completed by the teachers of children’s both groups of mothers, in pre-test, post-test and follow up. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The research results showed that using positive parenting program (Triple-P) in post-test increases self-control skills of children with ADHD (P=0.0001). The follow up findings also revealed that there are significant differences between the control and experimental groups in the variable under study (P=0.0001). The findings suggested that positive parenting program is effective on self-control skills of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

This study examined the effectiveness of positive thinking and prayer on anxiety and depression among 17-19 year olds from families supported by Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation in Shiraz. It was a semi-experimental research using a pretest - posttest method with control group. In so doing, from the population 30 available samples were selected to complete the questionnaires. They were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). The experimental group received 8 ninety-minute sessions of positive thinking and prayer education. The instruments were Positive Thinking and Prayer Package (Mohammadi, 2014), Depression Questionnaire (Beck, 1988) and Anxiety Questionnaire (Beck, 1990). The data from the questionnaires were analyzed using ANCOVA. The results showed that positive thinking and prayer education decreased anxiety and depression.