Journal of Psychology
Year:2006 | Volume:9 | Issue:4 (36)|Papers Count:8

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric characteristics of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). Subjects consisted of 1645 adolescents who were randomly selected from high schools of the city of Isfahan through the cluster sampling. Furthermore, 30 adolescents who were referred to the Counseling Center of Isfahan Educational Organizations and diagnosed as having Depressive Disorder in psychiatric assessments, were randomly selected as the clinical sample. The instruments consisted of the (MFQ) and a demoghraphic questionnaire. The reliability analysis showed that the Cronbach's Alpha was 0.93 for MFQ (P<0.001). The analysis on the concurrent validity showed that the correlation of the MFQ and the Beck Depression Inventory was 0.71 (P<0.001). Cut-off point of the MFQ was computed through Discriminate Analysis with the normal and depressed groups. Result showed that the cut-off point and the Canonical Correlation were 33.25 and 0.79 respectively. The percentage rank for this cut-off point was 84. Results of the Univariate analysis of variance revealed that the effect of gender, age and district was significant (P<0.0001). It can be concluded from the results of the present study that MFQ can be used as a reliable and valid questionnaire in research and clinics for diagnosing depressive disorders in children and adolescents.

Factor analyses that have beel1 administrated on the self-report mood questionnaires, consistently emerged two dominant dimensions that are called positive and negative affects. These two affective dimensions are associated with different classes of psychological variables. Negative affect is related to self-reported stress, poor coping, health complaints, and frequency of unpleasant events. This dimension is the common factor of anxiety and depression disorders. Positive affect is related to social activity and satisfaction and the frequency of pleasant events. Low positive affect is the specific factor of depression. In this study the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) was administrated on 255 university students with anxiety and depression disorders. The accuracy of factor structure, construct validation, and reliability of the PANAS was evaluated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The scales are shown to satisfy the two factor model (p<0.01). The structural relation of negative and positive affect with anxiety and depression was consistent with previous studies (p<0.05). The reliability of subscales were 0.87.

This study examined the pain/discomfort ratings during mammography and their relationship to pain coping strategies and coping effectiveness. Subjects were 1199 women (asymptomatic and symptomatic) with the mean age of 46.1 years old (Sd=8.47). undergoing screening mammography. Immediately after mammography, all women completed a modified version of the Iranian translation of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (IRCSQ) to assess their .coping style with pain/discomfort during mammography. Ratings of pain/discomfort during the mammogram were also collected, using three scales: A 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale, an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale, and a 6-point Pain/Discomfort Rating Scale. The incidence of reported pain was related to the pain measure used. Up to 89% of the women on the Numerical Rating Scale and 92% on the Visual Analogue Scale reported that the mammogram examination was painful. The intensity of the reported pain was typically in the mild to moderate range, but about 12% of women reported severe pain. However, using the Pain/Discomfort Rating Scale, only 1.6% of women reported mammogram as painful. Pain measures that provided a woman with many options for reporting pain were associated with a higher incidence of pain than a scale that provided only one or two options. This study found no significant relationship between coping efficacy and mammography pain. However, some of the individual coping strategies were significantly related to mammography pain intensity. The results of multiple regression analyses revealed that while the higher use of Catastrophising and Coping Self-Statements in facing mammography pain were significant predictors of more severe pain during mammography, the higher use of ignoring pain sensations and diverting attention were predictive of less severe pain during mammography. The potential clinical significance of these findings is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of self - instruction training on mathematical problem -solving performance and attention (performance in Wechsler Coding Subtest (WCS) and Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT). Previous research has demonstrated that this procedure has a positive effect on the development of academic performance of the students who had problems. This research was focused on students who had cognitive impulsiveness and problematic performance :n mathematical problem solving area. Twenty four female impulsive students who studied in first grade of a secondary school were randomly assigned into three groups (experimental, control 1, and control 2). The experimental group received mathematical problem -solving strategies training by self-instruction procedure in 6 sessions (2 hours each). The first control group received traditional instruction in problem-solving of the same materials. The second control group did not receive any intervention. In order to collect the data, a Teacher-made Mathematical Problem-Soving Test (TMPT), the Matching Familiar Figures Test, Wechsler Coding Sub-scale, the Cattell Intelligence Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were used. Multivariate analysis showed that the training group scored significatly higher than the other groups on TMPT (p =0.001). Recommendations for future research were provided.

The purpose of this investigation was to develop an assessment instrument for learning-studying strategies and determining the relationship of these strategies with student's achievement. The sample was chosen among high school students who were studying in the third grade in Tehran. A questionnaire with 68 items was developed according to the information processing approach. The questionnaire's reliability with test-retest method was r=0/98, and with the Cronbach alpha method was a =0/98. Validity of the questionnaire was taken using different methods: The content validity, the criterion-related validity (r= 0/98), the construct validity with correlation method between strategies and math scores (r=0/21), and the factor validity. Results show that students in different scholastic use same learning-studying strateaies. Girls using more strategies than boys. There was strong correlation between the instrument's components. High achiever students use more (LSSI) than low achievers. Intelligence tests scores had no relation with the usage of strategies. All the constructor elements had strong correlations with academic achievement. Using the self-control and knowledge strategies scores, can predict %38 of the acadmic achievement.

According to recent addiction theories, attentional bias to drug related stimuli play an important role in the initiation of substance use and relapse. The goal of this study is assessment of the attentional bias to drug related stimuli in opiate dependent, relapsed, abstinent and normal individuals. To do so, 30 opiate dependent, 30 relapsed, 30 abstinent and 30 normal individuals were selected, aging between 18-60. Groups were matched on the basis of age, education and the substance they used, and were assessed by the Prob Dot Task. Results indicated that opiate dependent and relapsed individuals had shorter reaction time to the drug related words than abstinent and normal individuals when presented words on 500 milliseconds; that is an evidence for attentional bias in this group of individuals. In spite of this, there was no significant difference between reaction time in opiate dependent and relapsed individuals in comparison to abstinent and normal individuals in presentation of words on 20 milliseconds; that is an evidence for no pre attentional bias in this group of individuals.

This cross sectional study is conducted to assess the personality traits and general health status of kidney transplant candidate patients. Ninty Seven candidates of kidney transplantation in the Baqiyatallah and Labbafinejad hospitals, were assessed 2 days before transplantation by MMPI, GHQ-28 and a medical history questionnaire. According to the F, I, K indices of MMPI, 80 patients were recruited in the study. 43 patients (53.7%) had at least I personality disorder. Depression was the most prevalent personality disorder. Abnormal total GHQ score was seen in 45 patients (56.3%). Social functioning was the most affected in these population. Relative frequency of pathologic GHQ score was higher in females and patients who had a history of psychiatric referral. Total GHQ score was not related to age, marital status, educational level, history of renal transplant and smoking. Our study showed importance of evaluation of psychiatric and personality characteristics specially to depression and social functioning. Female and patients with a positive history of psychiatric referral need the most attention in this field.