Clinical Psychology and Personality
Year:2012 | Volume:3 | Issue:5|Papers Count:7

This study was performed to examine the effect of holistic face processing and trait anxiety on children’s attentional biases toward schematic natural and jumbled emotional faces (angry, happy, and neutral). The participants entered into this study based on their scores in Trait anxiety inventory for children (Spielberger, 1973) and the results of a semi-structured interview. 30 high-and 30 low-anxiety children completed pictorial version of the modified dot-probe task. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that High trait anxious children show attentional bias toward angry faces (vigilance). In contrast, low trait anxious children show attentional bias away from angry faces (avoidance).These findings were observed only in natural angry emotional face and no trace of attentional bias was observed in jumbled emotional faces. The study findings are consistent with previous studies on the relationship between anxiety and attentional bias to threat in children and confirm the view of Holistic face processing in the recognition of faces.

To predict the identity styles based on attachment styles, the researchers carried out a descriptive study of correlation kind. 130 college students from Bu-Ali Sina University were chosen randomly through multistage cluster sampling. The attachment styles were evaluated by Hazan & shaver Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) while the identity styles were assessed by berzonsky identity style inventory. The findings of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between attachment styles and identity styles. The same is true between gender and identity styles. No significant relationship was found between gender and attachment styles. There was a significant and positive relationship between secure attachment style and informative identity style. In addition, a significant and negative relationship was found between secure attachment style and normative identity. The same is true for secure attachment style and normative identity style, and between secure attachment style and diffusion/ avoidant identity style. It is worth mentioning that secure attachment style has the potentiality to predict informative identity style. These findings highlight the basic and dynamic role of child-mother’s first affective bonds quality in formation, settlement and continuation of fundamental trust, affiliation, exploration, experience training, power of problem solving, and especially identity.

The present study is an attempt to determine the effect of life skills training on procrastination and school achievement of female third grade guidance school students. The related population of this study includes all third year guidance school female students in Islamabadgharb city. The sample includes 30 students who were selected randomly according to multistage sampling method. The experimental-control, with pretest-post test was used in this study. The materials used in this research were: Schwarzer, Schmitz and Diehil (2000) procrastination scale, student’s average (academic achievement) and life skills training guide. The experimental group was provided with 10 sessions of training. Data analysis through MANCOVA revealed that life skills training can decrease student’s procrastination. Moreover results indicate that life skills training cannot enhance school achievement. In conclusion, the findings indicate the important effect of life skills training on procrastination in students.

Since women in today’s society have multiple and sometimes conflicting roles, the study of their mental health is particularly important. One of the factors affecting mental health is gender role. In the present study, the relationship between gender role (masculinity and femininity) and mental health has been investigated. The aim of the present research is to identify the relationship between gender role (masculinity and femininity) and mental health and its Components (somatic symptoms, anxiety, dysfunction and depression) in Employed Women in Tehran. To do this, a sample consisting of 500 employed women in offices, organizations and administrative companies of Tehran city were selected through random stratified sampling. All subjects answered all items of Goldberg’s (1972) General Health Questionnaire (GHO) and Bem’s (1981) sex role inventory (short form). These Two tests have high reliability and validity. To analyze data statistically, Pearson`s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were employed. The results of the research indicated that femininity and masculinity have significant positive correlation with each other. Femininity has also a negative correlation with problems in mental health, anxiety, dysfunction and depression, but has no correlation with somatic symptoms. Masculinity has a significant negative correlation with mental health and dysfunction; it has no significant correlation with somatic symptoms, anxiety and depression. In addition, the results of regression analysis showed that masculinity has no significant role in explanation of the variance of mental health and its components (somatic symptoms, anxiety, dysfunction and depression). The results showed that in terms of mental health, working women are in a good condition. Therefore, we can conclude that the employment of women outside the house is useful. Thus, officials are expected to create more employment opportunities for women and provide mental health, satisfaction and self-esteem for them.

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in relapse prevention of bipolar disorder. This study has a quasi-experimental design with pre/post test and control group. The population consisted of bipolar I patients, suffering from frequent relapses despite the prescription of commonly used mood stabilizers who referred to Imam hossein hospital, Tahran, Iran. 14 patients were included in the study by in-access sampling, and were randomized into a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) group or a control group. Both the control and the CBT group received mood stabilizers. In addition, the CBT group received, on average, 14 sessions of CBT. The Young Mania Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression/ Anxiety Rating Scale and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale were used. The data were analyzed with covariance and paired T-test. The results showed that the CBT group had significant reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms. There is no difference in mania symptoms and adherence to medication in both groups. In conclusion, it can be said that adding CBT to medication is feasible and is associated with symptom improvement in bipolar patients.

Manager’s selective styles for conflict solution in organization have been affected by their unique characteristics like personality, attitudes and gender. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and conflict management strategies which was done by field study on the 140 managers and assistants of physical education in Khuzestan’s physical education offices in 1388. This research’s methodology was correlative descriptive. Instruments for gathering data were researcher-made questionnaire for demographic characteristics, short form of NEO personality traits inventory (1992), and Putnam & Wilson conflict management (1987) questionnaire. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression (enter and stepwise) were used. The result of simple correlation indicated that there was a significant positive relation between neuroticism traits and “non-confrontation and controlling” strategies. But there was a significant negative relationship between this and solution strategy. Also, there was a significant positive relationship between “extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness” and “solution strategy”. There was no significant relation between openness trait and none of the three conflict strategies. The result of multiple regression indicated conscientiousness trait as the best predictor for non-confrontation strategy which was significant in P<0.001. Also extraversion and agreeableness were best predictors of solution- orientation strategy which were significant in P<0.001 and P<0.008. Regarding the result of this study, it is suggested that for choosing competent managers, authorities must pay special attention to their personality traits.

This paper reports the results of a preliminary study which examined the criterion validity and reliability of a Farsi version of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2) amongst a clinical sample with psychological disorders. Four hundred and fifty-one patients with the mean (SD) age of 31.2 (9.7) years who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for only one of the following disorders: anxiety disorders (n=144), depressive disorders (n=203), manic episode (n=26), antisocial personality disorder and intermittent explosive disorder (n=51) completed the Farsi version of STAXI-2. The instrument was also completed by non-clinical sample (n=1071). The mean (SD) age of the non-clinical sample was 28 (10.1) years. In order to examine the stability of the Farsi STAXI-2 over time, the instrument was re-administered to a sub sample of 22 psychiatric patients after two weeks from the first assessment. Significant differences were found between the clinical and non-clinical samples in the proposed directions. Compared to the clinical sample, non-clinical people scored significantly lower in all scales and subscales of the Farsi STAXI-2 with the exception of Anger Control-In and Anger Control-Out. On the other hand, the non-clinical sample scored significantly higher on Anger Control-In and Anger Control-Out, compared to the clinical sample. Finally, the results of the present study revealed that the scales and subscales of the Farsi STAXI-2 are reliable, as measured in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. These results provide preliminary support for the use of the Farsi STAXI-2 amongst clinical population in Iran.