Psychological Achievements
Year:2012 | Volume:19 | Issue:1|Papers Count:12

The objective of the present study was comparing attribution styles and self-handicapping of the successful and unsuccessful female high school students in Ahvaz, controlling for their intelligence. The sample of successful and unsuccessful students consisted of 50 high school students each, who were selected randomly by multi-stage sampling method. The instruments used in this study were the Attribution Styles Questionnaire (ASQ) of Seligman and Sing, Self- Handicapping Questionnaire (SHS) of Rhodewalt, Raven Standard Progressive Matrices and the grade point average of the students. Also, MANCOVA test was used for analyzing the data. The result of MANCOVA revealed that there was significant differences between successful and unsuccessful students attribution styles (and its subscales). Also, negative attribution style of the unsuccessful students was more than that of successful group, but positive attribution style of the successful group was more than that of unsuccessful students. In addition, self-handicapping of the unsuccessful students was more than that of successful students for the total scale of self-handicapping. Finally, the “Claimed” and “Behavioral Self-Handicapping” subscales of the unsuccessful students were more than that of successful group.

The purpose of this research was to study the factors that affect students (8-12 grads) career development in Isfahan. The statistical population of this research includes 8 to 12 grade participants who were 721 students. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Career Development Inventory-Australia-short form, Skill Confidence Scale, Parent Support Inventory, Career Decision-Making Scale, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, Self Esteem Questionnaire and Strong Interest Inventory were used. The results showed that the effects of career decision-making self-efficacy, parent support and artistic interest were positive and the effect of indecision on career development was negative. Results showed that the effect of career decision-making self-efficacy on career development was more than the effect of other variables. The effect of parent support on career development was more than the effect of artistic interest. In addition, the results indicated that self efficacy had significant effect on interest. Finally, the results showed that neuroticism positively and conscientiousness and openness to experience negatively affected indecision.

The aim of this study was to test a model consisting of turnover intention as dependent variable, four dimensions of pay satisfaction as independent variables, with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work motivation as mediators. The participants of this study were 273 employees of NISOC in Ahvaz, who were selected by stratified random sampling method. The instruments used in this study were Turnover Intention Scale, Job Satisfaction, Scale, Work Motivation Scale, Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. The fitness of the proposed model was examined through structural equation modeling (SEM). The indirect effects were tested by using bootstrap procedure. The findings indicated that the proposed model fitted the data. Better fit was obtained by omitting 3 non-significant paths and using AMOS modification indices. In addition, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work motivation mediated the relationships between four dimensions of pay satisfaction and turnover intention.

This research investigated the impact of spiritual intelligence training on psychological well-being dimensions, existential anxiety, and spiritual quotient (SQ). The study was a field experimental design with pretest-posttest and control group. The participants were 112 undergraduate male and female students of Ahvaz Faculty of Petroleum who were selected randomly and were divided randomly into experimental and control groups (48 experimental and 46 control cases) Instruments included King s Spiritual Intelligence Scale (SISRI-24), Ryff s Psychological Well- being Scales, with six dimensions, and Good's Existential Anxiety Scale. After examining experimental and control groups via pretest, spiritual intelligence was taught to experimental group based on 7 steps of Bowell's SQ-training package in 15 sessions (60 minutes each). Then posttest was taken from both groups. Multivariate and univariate analysis of variances revealed that spiritual intelligence training significantly increased the six dimensions of psychological well-being, including Self- Acceptance, Purpose in Life, Personal Growth, Environmental Mastery, Autonomy, and Positive Relationships, of the experimental group in comparison with the control group. Also, the training appeared to increase spiritual intelligence, and decrease existential anxiety of the experimental group significantly.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a motivational model based on self-determination theory to determine the situations under which the first grade guidance school and the third grade junior high school students in rural regions decide to keep on their studying or leave it. The final approved model showed that motivational variables play an essential role in deciding to continue or quit school by students. Also, it is proved that motivational variables can be either reinforced in the classroom by autonomy-supportive teachers and highly perceived educational values or exasperated by controlling teachers and low perceived values of education. Collected data from 365 guidance and high school students, were analyzed using LISREL. Results showed that the perceived value of education predicted personal motivation to education. The results also showed that there is a negative relationship between perceptions of teacher support and perceived competence. The perceived competence had a positive relationship with the dependent variable in deciding to continue or quit school. The motivational sources not only had an effect on the decision to continue or quit school, but also on educational performance.

This study was conducted to examine the relationship of coping strategies and attributional styles with the school dropt. To this end, 480 university students (162 male and 318 female) were selected using random cluster sampling. All subjects completed 3 questionnaires: demographic characteristics, Coping Strategies, and Attributional Styles. Data were analyzed using Pearson product correlation and stepwise multiple regression. There were significant relationships between school dropt and social support, physical and emotional inhibition, stable-unstable aspects of failure, and stable- unstable, internal-external, and total-partial dimensions of success attribution in students with school dropt. There was significant correlation between coping strategies and attributional style with school dropt.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of personality traits with students achievement motivation. To this end, 350 students were selected by multi-stage random sampling method, and the research questionnaires, NEO Inventory and Achievement Motivation Questionnaire, were completed by them. The findings showed a significant positive relationship between personality traits of extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, of conscientiousness and achievement motivation. In addition, neuroticism was negatively correlated with achievement motivation. Regression analysis showed that there is a significant multiple correlations between personality traits and achievement motivation. Conscientiousness positively and neuroticism negatively predicted achievement motivation.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the predictors of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in Ahwaz. For this purpose 450 subjects (including 3 samples, 150 normal and 300 patients) were selected randomly from all diabetic and cardiovascular patients who were referred to governmental and private therapeutic centers in Ahvaz. The normal group was selected from the above-mentioned centers. The instruments used in this study were: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Lifestyle Questionnaire & Socioeconomic Status Inventory and Clinical tests. For data analysis multinomial logistic regression was used. The results showed that resilience, neuroticism, extraversion, lifestyle and blood sugar are predictors of type 2 diabetes and resilience, neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, lifestyle and socioeconomic status are predictors of cardiovascular disease. Conscientiousness, socioeconomic status, family history, weight, blood pressure and blood factors (LDL, HDL, TG and Cholesterol) could not predict type 2 diabetes. In addition family history, weight, blood pressure and blood factors (LDL, HDL, TG, Cholesterol), were not significant predictors of cardiovascular disease.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of stress management training based on cognitive-behavior therapy on type A personality and job stressors in an industrial company. Research population included all personnel of that company and as a primary sample 500 person was selected randomly. Final sample was 30 men who had 1 St.d more than mean in type A personality inventory and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. As a pretest we performed type A personality and job stressors inventories in both experimental and control groups then the experimental group received 10 sessions of stress management training based on cognitive- behavior therapy. After experimental intervention, experimental and control groups were examined in post-test step through type A personality and job stress inventories. MANCOVA results showed that stress management training was effective in type A behavior patterns reform and personnel job stress reduce in that industrial company.

This study has examined the effect of anger management skills training in reduction of marital conflicts among the couples reffered to Problem-Solving Committee of Baghmalek. The population of this study includes the couples that had been reffered to Baghmalek s Problem-Solving Committee. This population was consisted of 20 couples (40 men and women) who were married for 2 years at least, and had at least one child. They were selected by simple random sampling and assigned randomly to experimental and control groups. To administer the experiment, both experimental and control groups took the pre-test. Then, during 8 sessions, the treatment was administered to experimental group and then the post-test was taken. The instrument used in this study was Marital Conflict Test. The results of one-way analysis of variance and MANOVA showed that anger management skills reduced the total marital conflicts and other subscales, in experimental couple.

The aim of the present research was to study the direct and indirect relationships between academic self-efficacy and adolescence depression. Participants were 946 high school students (471 girls and 475 boys) in Tehran who were selected by cluster sampling method. Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Peer Rejection Questionnaire were also used. Path analysis revealed that the model fit was satisfactory. The academic efficacy had a significant direct and an indirect effect, through peer rejection, on depression. The effect of academic efficacy on academic achievement was significant, but the indirect effect, through academic achievement, on depression was not significant. Clinical implications of adolescent depression were discussed.

This study investigated a causal model of antecedents of loneliness, based on Bowlby s (1969/1982) attachment theory and Blatt s (1990) model of personality. In this model parent and peer attachment were considered as exogenous variables, loneliness as endogenous variable; and Blatt s personality predispositions as mediators. Participants were 426 (204 girls and 222 boys) high school students, selected from Shiraz high schools. Participants completed the short form of Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, at the end of adolescence. The hypothetical model was tested by AMOS software. Also, significance of the meditational effects determined by Bootstrap method. Results showed that parent attachment was a negative predictor of loneliness, both directly and indirectly by self- criticism and dependency as mediator variables. However, peer attachment had only negative direct effect on loneliness.