SOCIAL COGNITION
Year:2017 | Volume:6 | Issue:2 (12) |Papers Count:14

Introduction: Research shows a controversy concerning the relationship between social desirability and physical and mental health. The aim of the present study was to examine how social desirability as a personality trait is associated with physical and mental health and how it has been misused. Method: The research design included two studies. In the first study, a sample of 220 students (95 males and 125 female) from the University of Tehran completed the Social Desirability (Balard, 1992), Self-Compassion (Raes et al, 2011), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003), Subjective Vitality (Ryan & frederick, 1997), General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg et al, 1997), and Symptom Checklist (Bartone, 1995). In the second study, the persons with high and low self-compassion were exposed to socially desirable and common situation, then their physical symptoms were evaluated. Results: The correlation and regression analysis showed that social desirability had a positive relationship with selfcompassion and mindfulness, but if it not associate with self-compassion and mindfulness, it might not predict physical and mental health. The comparison of groups also showed that high self-compassionate persons compared to low self-compassionate persons had some less negative symptoms during experience of socially desirable behaviour. Conclusion: A socially desirable behaviour might be compatible when it has been associated with self-regulation processes including mindfulness and self-compassion.

Introduction: The present study intended to examine the rate of reaction and bias in the perceptual processing associated to paranormal beliefs. Paranormal beliefs are strongly correlated to perceptual biases for detecting illusory patterns, for instance. Perceptual processing and biases are strongly influenced by prior expectations and learning experiences. Methods: A convenient sample of 32 university students (23 male) were recruited for the experiment and were measured by a computerized face/house recognition task and Paranormal Belief Questionnaire (Blackmore & Moore, 1994). Results: The result of ANOVA showed a significant difference between groups with severe and moderain paranormal belief. Therefore, the results showed a significant difference between groups in perceptual-bias and reaction time in relation to paranormal belief. Conclusion: Paranormal beliefs influence the reaction time and perceptual processing.

This study examined the mediating effect of empathy, rumination, and anger on the relationship between narcissism and lack of interpersonal forgiveness. The research method was correlational. The population of this study were all students of Qazvin universities from which 197 persons were selected as the research sample. To collect data, the Narcisistic Personality Questionnaire (Raskin & Terry, 1988), Lack of interpersonal forgiveness associated with the error, and the Empathy Scale (Batson & Shaw, 1991) were applied. The results of Pearson correlation showed a significant negative correlation between empathy and narcissism, and a positive correlation between narcissism and rumination/anger. The results also revaled a significant negative relationship between unforgiveness, rumination, and anger; however, no correlation was found between empathyand unforgiveness. Mediated regression test results revealed that narcissism had a significant effect on the rate of unforgiveness. In addition, the results showed that from among empathy, rumination, and anger, anger and rumination had mediating effect on the relationship between narcissism and unforgiveness. Thus, it can be concluded that if detailed behavioral variables such as the state of anger and rumination be considered, change in more general behaviors such as forgiveness might be achievable.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common disorders in childhood. This study also aims to examine the effect of neuropsychological rehabilitation on cognitive function due to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Materials and Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental design with the two groups: A group of 15 participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a control group with disorders without receiving any intervention. Instruments included neuropsychological rehabilitation program and the Continuous Performance Test. The SPSS version 19 was run to analyze the data applying MANCOVA. Results: Results of data analysis showed a significant difference between the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test experimental and control groups (p <0/01), so the neuropsychological rehabilitation might improve sustained attention deficit disorder in patients with hyperactivity. Conclusion: Considering the positive effect of this method due to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the study found that neuropsychological rehabilitation can be an effective way to achieve optimum performance in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of positive psychology intervention and integrative training of emotional competencies on social, emotional and psychological well-being. Method: This study was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design. The sample of the study included female students at Payame Noor University in Rezvanshahr. The participants were 51 persons who had overweight and were randomly divided into two experimental and one control groups (17 persons in each group). The data were collected through the Well-being Inventory. The positive psychology intervention was conducted during 14 sessions and integrative training of emotional competencies was conducted during 12 sessions in the experimental groups, while the control group did not receive any treatment. Results: The results showed that both interventions had a positive effect on the improvement of well-being and its componenets and no change occurred in the control group during the process of assessment. However, the positive psychology intervention was more effective than the other intervention on social, psychological, and global well-being. The integrative training of emotional competencies was more effective on emotional well-being. Conclusion: These interventions might be effective for enhancing the well-being in overweight persons.

Aim: The aim of the current research was to examine factor determination and psychometric features of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire. Method: The research design was correlational study. The population was college students and clients in psychotherapy and counseling centers in Kermanshah. The nonclinical student sample was 250 subjects selected randomly (simple) from among the students of the Razi University. Overall, the clients in psychotherapy and counseling clinics in Kermanshah were 100 persons selected by convenient sampling and completed the multidimensional experiential avoidance questionnaire, positive and negative affect schedule, acceptance and action questionnaire-second version, revised questionnaire of personality and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (for divergent validation). To analyze the data, factor analysis method, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and Pearson correlation were run by SPSS 22 and AMOS 21. Results: The result indicated that there were direct and significant relationships among experiential avoidance with negative affect, acceptance and action, negative emotion regulation strategies and neuroticism (P≤ 0/001). Furthermore, there was a reverse and significant relationship between positive effects and positive strategies of cognitive emotion regulation (P≤ 0/001). The results of discriminant validity showed that there were significant differences between two groups of clinical and nonclinical in behavioral avoidance, confusion disgust, procrastination, distraction/stop, denial, repression and distress tolerance (P≤ 0/001). The results from confirmatory factor analysis confirmed 44 items into 6 factors. The amounts of Goodness of fit Index (GFI), Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) were at an acceptable level. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for total of the questionnaire was 0. 842, behavioral avoidance 0. 891, confusion disgust 0. 828, procrastination 0. 794, distraction/stop 0. 681, denial/repression 0. 822, and for distress tolerance 0. 818. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire in college students population and clinical people have the acceptable psychometric features and might be used as a valid instrument in psychological studies.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the role of cognitive fusion, perception of social interaction and, cognitive avoidance components in the prediction of teachers’ job burnout. The research design was descriptive/correlational study. The population included all male teachers in Ardabil in 2015-2016, of which 104 persons were selected as the statistical sample using the convenience sampling. For data collection, the Cognitive Fusion Scale (Gillanders, 2014), Perception of Social Interaction Scale (Glass, 1994), Cognitive Avoidance Scale (Sexton & Dugas, 2008) and Job Burnout Scale (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). Research data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression methods. The study results showed a significant relationship between cognitive fusion, perception of social interaction and cognitive avoidance with teachers job burnout. Multiple regression analysis showed that cognitive fusion 0. 19, perception of social interaction-0. 17 and cognitive avoidance components (thoughts repression 0. 18, distractions 0. 21, changing image to thought 0. 19) significantly predict job burnout of the teachers (p<0. 05). Thus, it can be concluded that cognitive fusion, perception of social interaction and cognitive avoidance are considered as the predicting variables related to job burnout.

Introduction: Emotion could facilitate memory encoding and consolidation processes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate emotional memory based on high and low sensory processing sensitivity. Method: For this purpose, first, 500 students in Bu Ali Sina University in Hamadan's were selected through a multistage cluster sampling. After the initial data analysis, 45 students were selected based on final score distribution (Z Standard) in Sensory Processing Sensitivity Scale. Then, to test the hypothesis of this study, the participants were studied for evaluating their emotional memory. In the first phase, some emotional images were displayed to participants, and in the second stage with a 15-day time interval, the recognition rate for the first stage of emotional images was evaluated. To evaluate the results of the study, collected data were analyzed by using MANCOVA, univariate covariance and post hoc tests. Result: The results showed significant differences in emotional memory between three groups based on sensory processing sensitivity: Participants with high sensory processing sensitivity (HSP) in the first stage of emotional memory retrieval gained higher in most components of emotional memory compared with individuals with low sensory processing sensitivity (LSP). However, in the second stage of emotional memory retrieval, people with low sensory processing sensitivity (LSP) had a better performance. Conclusion: It seems that difference in the sensitivity to sensory stimuli processing, as a biological aspect, plays an effective role in encoding and consolidation of emotional memories.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to study the association between the response inhibition executive functions of response inhibition and working memory and the development of the mind theory in primary school children. Methods: This research method was correlational. The population in this study consisted of all elementary school students in Mashhad in the academic year 1396-95. The sample consisted of 180 students randomly selected and matched by age, gender, and grade. Data collection tools in this study consisted of 38 questions form the Theory of Mind, Morris et al. ( ), Stroop Test and the Wechsler Memory Scale Active. The data collected were analyzed using correlation and linear regression analysis to test the research questions. Results: The results showed a positive and significant relationship between the executive functions of response inhibition, working memory and the development of theory of mind. Also a correlation was found between response inhibition and working memory's ability to predict the level of theory of mind. Furthermore, the results showed a positive relationship between theory of mind and response inhibition and working memory span. Conclusion: In general, executive functions, particularly working memory and response inhibition play decisive roles in anticipating and development of human mental abilities, including the ability of the conceptual mind. In addition, improving these actions led to greater recognition of social human understanding. Therefore, paying attention to learners’ working memory capacity and the effectiveness of learning and teaching materials designed to create the ultimate objective of all of them, or facilitate the development of cognitive functions, display significant effects.

The present research aimed at examining the effect of imagery rescripting and reprocessing therapy (IRRT) on negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of women with cancer. This research was semi-experimental with comparison design of unequal control group. Using Kendal and Hellonn`s (date? ) Negative Automatic Thoughts and Weissmen & Beck`s Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire, 28 women with cancer who had negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes were randomly selected and were voluntarily assigned into experimental and control groups (14 person in each group). The experimental group received 8 sessions of IRRT techniques on basic Smoker`s educational package (one session weekly) and the control group did not receive any intervention. After the intervention of IRRT, negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of the members of both groups were measured again. MANCOVA was used to analyze the data. Calculated F for negative automatic thought and dysfunctional attitudes variables showed significant difference in both groups. Generally, this research in the agreement with other similar studies indicated that the IRRT method might be an effective intervention in decreasing negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of women with cancer.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive rehabilitation on working memory and academic achievement of children with Discalcula. Method: The present study was a semi-experimental design with pretestposttest with control group. 30 students with 3rd to 5th grade math disorders who were selected by available sampling method were randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group in this study received the Wilson Cognitive Rehabilitation Program for 8 sessions and the control group was waiting for intervention. Conclusion: The results of Co-variance analysis showed that the scores of work memory and academic achievement in the experimental group were significant Increasedacademic achievement of children with mathmetics disorder. Results: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that cognitive rehabilitation can improve the educational achievement of children with maldistry to a degree.