Journal of Research in Behavioral Sciences
Year:2023 | Volume:21 | Issue:3|Papers Count:16

Aim and Background: The Covid-19 epidemic has had many effects on the people's lives, especially medical students. However, little is known about the effects of this pandemic on medical students' learning, stress, and academic burnout. Therefore, the aim of present study was investigating the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between the fear of Covid-19 contagion and the academic burnout of medical students. Methods and Materials: The research population of this study was consisted of all students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences (N=4000) in the academic year of 2021-2022. The research sample was consisted of 436 students who were selected by available sampling method and completed the fear of contagion questionnaire, academic self-efficacy scale and Maslach burnout inventory–student survey. Data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling. Findings: The findings showed that direct effect of fear of Covid-19 contagion on academic burnout was significant, but its effect on academic burnout was not significant. The direct effect of academic self-efficacy on academic burnout was significant. Also, indirect effect of fear of Covid-19 contagion with the mediation of academic self-efficacy on is significant. Conclusions: The results suggest that academic self-efficacy can play an important role in increasing the effects fear of contagion epidemic diseases such as Covid-19 on academic burnout. The findings of this research can help to design or use of trainings based on self-efficacy during epidemic periods to reduce academic burnout of medical students.

Aim and Background: The number of female heads of households has been increasing in recent years, which has led to severe psychological pressure in this group of women. Performing psychological interventions for this cohort can be helpful in improving their mental health. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of Rollo May's existential psychotherapy on death anxiety, loneliness and the meaning of life for female heads of households. Methods and Materials: The research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design, a control group and a two-month follow-up phase. The statistical population included all female heads of households in Esfahan welfare organization. The statistical sample consisted of 30 women who were selected by Targeted sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental (15 people) and control (15 people) groups. The experimental group underwent Rollo May's existential psychotherapy for ten 90-minute sessions and the control group remained on the waiting list. Both groups were evaluated in the pre-test, post-test and the two-month follow-up phase by Templer Death Anxiety Scale (1970), Russell et al. 's Loneliness Scale (1980) and Steger's Meaning in Life Questionnaire (2010). In order to check and analyze the data, SPSS23 statistical software and repeated measures analysis of variance method were used. Findings: The results showed that existential psychotherapy had a significant effect on the improvement of death anxiety, the presence of meaning, search for meaning, and feeling of loneliness in female heads of the family in the post-test stage, and this effect remained in the follow-up phase as well (p<0. 001). Conclusions: The results of the research indicate the significant effectiveness of the Existential psychotherapy in death anxiety, loneliness and the meaning of life for female heads of households,Therefore, the responsible institutions should provide the conditions of free existential psychotherapy interventions for female heads of families so that the conditions of these families will be more suitable.

Aim and Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the mental disorders that has a great impact on the quality of life and reducing a person's resistance to the disorder. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of single-process cognitive-behavioral therapy on intolerance of uncertainty and tolerance of ambiguity in female patients with compulsive washing. Methods and Materials: The research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up test design. The statistical population included all young women suffering from washing obsessions who had referred to the counseling and psychological research center in Neyshabur during the first quarter of 2018. Among them, 60 people were voluntarily selected and after the initial pre-test of the Yale Brown Washing Obsession Questionnaire, 30 people who had the highest level of disorder were selected and randomly divided into two groups (15 experimental and 15 control people) were replaced. Then the CBT cognitive behavioral therapy protocol, which was developed by the researcher in the form of 8 sessions of 45 minutes in a period of 2 months, one session per week, was implemented on the experimental group. Two experimental and control groups were taken. The data were analyzed through variance analysis with repeated measurements. Findings: The results showed that the modular cognitive behavioral intervention increases the intolerance of uncertainty and tolerance of ambiguity (p<0. 05). Conclusions: Therefore, it can be concluded that the modular cognitive-behavioral therapy can be suggested as an effective intervention in the treatment of increasing uncertainty tolerance and ambiguity tolerance of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Aim and Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy (ACT-CBT) on changing attitudes and self-esteem. Materials and Methods: The current research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test and post-test design and a control and follow-up group. The statistical population of this research included all self-identified addicts of Dezful addiction treatment centers. First, a Dezful addiction treatment center was selected. Then, a sample of 30 people was selected using the available sampling method and they were randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The experimental group was subjected to combined acceptance and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy during 10 sessions. The control group did not receive any treatment during this period. To collect data, the attitude towards addiction and theoretical drugs questionnaire (1378) and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (1965) were completed by the participants in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up stages. To analyze the data in this research, univariate covariance analysis was used in SPSS-20 software. The significance level of all tests was considered less than 0. 05. Findings: Combined acceptance and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy had a significant effect on changing the attitude and self-esteem of self-reported addicts in the experimental group compared to the control group. The results showed that this treatment is an effective strategy for changing the attitude and self-esteem of self-identified addicts and it can be used as an effective treatment method. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that teaching creativity and learning strategies promotes optimism and adaptive performance in procrastinating female students.

Aim and Background: The prevalence of low birth weight is one of the important sanitary indices in evaluating the prenatal care all over the world. So, recognition of risky factor related to low birth weight can help prevent the occurrence of being low birth weight. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of positive intervention on reducing depression, anxiety and stress in mothers with Infant’s low birth weight. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted as pre-test and post-test with control group. Statistical population included all mothers with Infant’s low birth weight in the city of Dezful. From among these mothers, 30 mothers were randomly selected and put into the experimental and control groups of 15 persons each. The DASS-22 Scale was the instrument of this study. First, the pretest was conducted on the two groups. Then, the experimental group was exposed to an eight-session training of group schema therapy these sessions were weekly held in group. At the end, the post-test was applied on both groups. One-way analysis of variance was used for intergroup changes using SPSS version 25 software and a significance level of P<0. 05. Findings: The results of univariate covariance analysis showed that the positive intervention reduced depression, anxiety and stress of mothers with low-birth-weight babies (P<0. 001). Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that positive intervention is an effective treatment for reducing depression, anxiety and stress of mothers with low-birth-weight babies and generally improving people's mental health

Aim and Background: The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of emotion regulation training and compassion-based therapy on psychological symptoms and risky behavior in working children. Materials and Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design and control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of all the working children of Ahvaz city in 1400, and to collect data, 45 of the children were selected using a screening interview. They were selected in a purposeful way and after matching based on demographic characteristics in pairs and individuals and randomly assigned to 3 groups of 15 people, (experimental group with emotion regulation training (15 people), experimental group with compassion-based therapy) (15 people) and a control group (15 people) were assigned. At first, all participants completed the depression-anxiety-tension scale (Lavibond and Lavibond, 1995) and the risk-taking scale of Iranian adolescents (Zademohammadi et al., 2019), then the subjects The experimental groups were trained in emotion regulation and compassion-based therapy, while the subjects in the control group did not receive any intervention. After the interventions, all subjects completed the research questionnaires. To analyze the data, multivariate analysis of covariance and univariate analysis were used. Findings: The results showed that emotion regulation training and compassion-based therapy are effective on psychological symptoms and risky behavior (p≥0. 05) and as a result of these interventions can reduce psychological symptoms and behavior. Risky work in children. In addition, the results of follow-up tests showed that emotion regulation training had a greater effect on reducing risky behavior in working children compared to compassion-based treatment (p≥0. 05). Conclusion: It seems that both have the same effect on research variables,Although it has had a more lasting effect in the follow-up phase of emotion regulation training

Aim and Background: One of the most important concerns of education today is to increase the quality of learning in students and solve their learning problems. Among the factors that can be effective in this field is procrastination. Based on this, the aim of the current research was to compare the effectiveness of creativity training and learning strategies training on optimism and adaptive social performance of procrastinating female students. Materials and Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a follow-up period. The statistical population included all second high school female students of Arak city in the academic year of 1998, numbering 13, 700 people. Out of this number, 60 students whose academic procrastination score was low were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to three groups, two experimental groups and one experimental group (20 people in each group). The first experiment group received the research educational intervention including the creativity training program based on the Pirkhafi model (2013) and the second experiment group received learning strategies training based on the Kerami and Amirtimori model (2013). In this research, procrastination, optimism and adaptive performance questionnaires were used. Also, multivariate covariance analysis was used to analyze the data. . Findings: The results of the analysis showed that in the field of creativity training and learning strategies training, there is a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the level of academic vitality and self-efficacy, and there is also a significant difference in the comparison of the effectiveness of the training in favor of creativity training (p≤0. 001). Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that teaching creativity and learning strategies promotes optimism and adaptive performance in procrastinating female students

Aim and Background: The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation of executive functions on students' memory. Materials and Methods: This research is semi-experimental using a computerized Wechsler working memory intelligence test prepared and compiled from the Farakhnai subscale of the Wechsler intelligence scale, which was used to measure working memory. The statistical sample consisted of 20 high school students who were randomly selected from high school boys in Varamin in the academic year of 1400-1999 in public high schools in mathematics, experimental and human subjects. The subjects were in two control groups (10 subjects) and the experiment (10 subjects) were randomly replaced. Findings: Neuropsychological rehabilitation of executive functions is effective in improving students' auditory memory/forward repetition, auditory memory/reverse repetition, visual memory/forward repetition, visual memory/reverse repetition, auditory memory, visual memory, and auditory memory span. Visual memory of students is not effective. Also, there was a statistically significant increase in the average score of all dimensions of working memory from the time before the intervention to the follow-up period, and only in the visual dimension / reverse repetition of the average before the intervention (p≤0. 001). There was no significance between the two means (p≥0. 001). Conclusion: In general, the results show the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation of executive functions on students' memory

Aim and Background: Marital satisfaction is related to some psychological variables, including attachment behaviors,Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of attachment behaviors on women's marital satisfaction with the mediating role of online surveillance. Methods and Materials: The design of the current research is a correlation design of the structural equation modeling type, which was a multivariate correlation method. The statistical population in this research was all married women in Khuzestan province whose husbands used social networks. Using the non-discriminatory snowball sampling method, 350 married women with electronic literacy and familiar with using social networks were selected. Subjects responded to the scale of the modified version of the attachment behavior scale of Sandberg et al. 2012, the online surveillance scale of the modified version of Ellison 2007 and the marital satisfaction scale. SPSS version 27 statistical software and structural equation modeling using Amos version 24 software were used to evaluate the proposed model. Findings: The results of the findings showed that the direct effect of attachment behaviors on online marital supervision and the direct effect of online marital supervision on marital satisfaction is significant p<0. 05. Also, the direct effect of attachment behaviors on marital satisfaction is significant p<0. 05. The indirect effect of attachment behaviors on marital satisfaction through online surveillance is also significant p<0. 05. Considering the significance of the effect of attachment behaviors on marital satisfaction in the model, it should be said that online surveillance plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between attachment behaviors and marital satisfaction. Conclusions: According to the findings obtained from the present research, it can be said that attachment behaviors through online surveillance have an effect on the marital satisfaction of married women.

Aim and Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic and debilitating disorder characterized by recurrent and persistent thoughts and behaviors associated with anxiety. Considering show the importance and fundamental role of the family in the process of obsessive compulsive disorder in family members, the aim of this research is to compare the effectiveness of the acceptance and commitment therapy and mentalization based treatment on the conflict resolution strategies in the spouses of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Methods and Materials: The research method was a semi-experimental method with a two-step process (pre-test, post-test) in three experimental groups (education group based on acceptance and commitment treatment, education group based on mentalization, control group). In this process, the independent variables are the acceptance and commitment treatment and also the mentalization treatment and dependent variable is the conflict resolution strategies. The research samples included 45 spouses of people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, who were placed in three experimental groups of 15 people: treatment based on acceptance and commitment, treatment based on mentalization, and the control group. Findings: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the scores of the conflict resolution strategies in the post-test of the acceptance and commitment group and the mentalization group, and this difference is in favor of the acceptance group. That is, the scores of conflict resolution strategies in the post-test of the acceptance and commitment group were significantly lower than the mentalization group (P<0. 05). Conclusions: Based on this we can say that acceptance and commitment therapy has more effect on conflict resolution strategies.

Aim and Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and despite medical advances and the development of treatments, this disease continues to cause psychological and physical effects on the life dimensions of many affected people, such as the attitude to death and tolerance of distress, which should be taken into account. Therefore, the aim of this research was the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on attitude towards death and distress tolerance of breast cancer patients. Methods and Materials: The research method is semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population included all patients diagnosed with breast cancer in government cancer treatment centers located in Isfahan. The sample consisted of 36 patients with breast cancer from Seyed al-Shohda Hospital (AS) in Isfahan and Alaa Cancer Prevention and Control Center, who were selected through targeted sampling and randomly divided into two experimental groups (18 people) and control groups (18 people). The experimental group was treated with emotional schema. The data in this research was collected The Death Attitude Profile (DAP-R) –Revised (Wang, Racker & Gasser, 1994) and the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) by (Simons& Gaher, 2005), in three stages: pre-test, post-test and follow-up, and it was done using proportional statistical tests and SPSS-26 software. Findings: The results of the analysis of variance with repeated measurements showed that emotional schema therapy improved the attitude towards death and distress tolerance of the experimental group at a significant level (P<0. 05). Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy can have a significant impact on the psychological characteristics of breast cancer patients, including the attitude towards death and distress tolerance, so it is suggested that this type of treatment be used to help breast cancer patients.

Aim and Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of play therapy on behavioral problems, feelings of loneliness and depression of deaf children. Materials and Methods: The research method is semi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control and experimental groups. The statistical population of the research was made up of deaf children of Shahrood city. The purposeful sampling method is that based on the research entry criteria, 30 children from exceptional Kedars of Shahrood city will be selected, who will be divided into 2 groups in a simple random manner. Research questionnaires included Asher's feeling of loneliness in children and adolescents, Covey and Patterson Behavioral Problems Questionnaire (RBPC)-Revised form, and Maria Kovas Children's Depression (CDI). Analysis of covariance test was used to analyze the research data. All statistical operations of the research were considered using SPSS version 25 software with a significance level of P<0. 05. Findings: The research results showed that after controlling for the effect of the pre-test, the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the two groups is significant for the variable of behavioral problems and depression, and the mean scores of the experimental group in the variable of behavioral problems and depression are also significantly lower than the control group. p > 0. 001). Also, the difference in the mean scores of the post-test feeling of loneliness in the two experimental and control groups is significant (P=0. 031). Conclusion: According to the results of the research, it can be said that play therapy is a suitable approach and intervention in reducing behavioral problems, depression and loneliness of deaf children.

Aim and Background: The spread of the corona virus at a high speed caused many attitudes, behaviors, habits and values of human beings to undergo serious changes in such a way that these changes led to a transformation in the way of life of the people. The aim of the research was to investigate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on the modification of habits in the face of the corona virus. Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental (pre-test-post-test with control group). The statistical population of the research was the contacts of the religious boards of Isfahan city, and the sample size was estimated to be 40 people using Cochran's formula. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data, and its content validity was checked and verified by the opinion of experts and experts, and its reliability was checked and confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To analyze the data, univariate (ANCOVA) and multivariate (MANCOVA) analysis of covariance methods were used. Findings: The results showed that the educational package based on scientific and Islamic teachings was effective in improving social habits. Also, the eta square shows that 42% of the changes in the sociological component scores, 42. 3% of the changes in the religious (Islamic) component scores, and 24. 2% of the changes in the medical component scores in the experimental group were obtained as a result of the educational package intervention. Conclusions: The findings of the research show that the educational package based on scientific and Islamic teachings has an effect on the sociological, religious (Islamic) and medical components in preventing the corona virus

Aim and Background: Internet addiction is a behavioral addiction in which a person becomes dependent on using the Internet or other online devices as an incompatible way to deal with life stressors, which has many consequences for the person. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of quality-of-life therapy on sensation seeking, risky behaviors and relationships with peers in adolescents with Internet addiction. Methods and Materials: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with the control group. 30 teenagers with Internet addiction in Isfahan city in a targeted way according to the entrance criteria among teenagers who had Internet addiction,They were selected and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The intervention experimental group received quality of life therapy. And the control group did not receive any treatment. The questionnaires included Kimberly-Young's Internet Addiction (1998), Zuckerman's sensation seeking (1978), Zadeh Mohammadi's risky behaviors (2008) and relationships with peers by Razaghi et al. (2016). The data were analyzed through analysis of variance with repeated measures. Findings: The findings showed that the therapeutic quality of life intervention had a significant effect on emotional seeking, risky behaviors and relationships with peers of the experimental group in the post-test and follow-up phase (P<0. 001). Conclusions: It can be said that the Therapeutic quality of life intervention intervention by using the principles and techniques of changing the conditions by changing the Therapeutic quality of life intervention can be used as an intervention to improve emotional seeking, risky behaviors and relationships with peers.

Aim and Background: Tokophobia is a pathological fear of childbirth that can lead to anxiety and worry in pregnant women. The aim of present study was to investigate of the psychometric characteristics of Tokophobia Severity Scale amongst pregnant women. Methods and Materials: This descriptive study, the sample has been carried out on 205 pregnant women which were selected through available sampling. In this study, data were collected using Wooten et al. Tokophobia Severity Scale of (2020) and Gladstone et al. Brief Measure of Worry Severity (2005). The reliability coeffcients were calculated by Cronbach alpha and Halving method and to determine the validity of the scale, confirmatory factory analysis and concurrent validity were used. For analysis the data SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 24 soft ware were used and significant level was 0. 01. Findings: Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two factor model of Tokophobia Severity Scale fits among the pregnant women. Reliability by Cronbach's alpha method and halving was obtained as 0. 87 and 0. 84, respectively, which indicated good reliability and validity. Conclusions: It seems that due to the acceptable reliability and validity of the tokophobia severity scale in pregnant women, it can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify the severe fear of childbirth and to start teaching the management of this fear in pregnant mothers.

Aim and Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuropsychological functions of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder of hoarding and Obsessional Slowness. Methods and Materials: The current research was based on the nature and purpose of applied research and in terms of the research method, it was cross-sectional analytical. The statistical population of this research included all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive type, hoarding type, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in Urmia city between April and December 1401. The statistical sample of the research includes 30 patients with hoarding obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (15 people for each group of patients) referring to psychiatric and psychological treatment centers in Urmia city and 15 healthy people without diagnosis of the disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was in the period from April to December 1401, which was selected by the available sampling method. The participants were matched in terms of age, gender, education, marital status and intelligence range. Subjects were evaluated using the revised Obsessive Compulsive Questionnaire, Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Questionnaire, Wisconsin Test, Go/No Go Test, Barrett's Balloon Risk Test, and Tower of London Test. Findings: The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that people with Hoarding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Obsessional Slowness have significant differences in neuropsychological evaluations in terms of response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning and problem solving with the healthy group. Conclusion: These results indicate a deficiency in response inhibition, cognitive flexibility and problem solving in these patients. While the pattern of neuropsychological disorders in these two disorders is different