Naser Mohammad Gholi Mezerji, Parisa Naseri, Zohreh Omraninezhad, Zahra Shayan,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (8-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: Sleep disturbances are a significant public health issue and such problems are associated with a number of psychiatric disorders. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is an effective instrument frequently used to evaluate sleep style and quality.
Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Persian version of PSQI.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1115 citizens of Arak City, Iran aged 18-60 years. They were selected by stratified random sampling method from different parts of the city. The following aspects of the Persian version of PSQI were evaluated to assess its validity and reliability. To assess the validity of the content, the questionnaire was sent to a panel of 15 academic members consisting of experts in the fields of psychology and health education. The internal consistency of the PSQI questionnaire was evaluated by the Cronbach alpha coefficient and item-scale correlation. To investigate the factor structure of the PSQI, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed with a 2-factor solution and varimax rotation. The extraction of principal factors was performed after varimax orthogonal rotation and Kaiser’s criterion. At last, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to assess the reliability of the PSQI questionnaire. All analyses were performed in SPSS V. 16.0 and AMOS for Windows.
Results: The Persian version of PSQI was evaluated in the study with regard to its internal consistency and factor structure. The result showed excellent item content validity index (≥0.78) and excellent scale content validity index (≥0.90). The result of the Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.65. The factors of perceived sleep quality and sleep efficiency were extracted by means of factor analysis and these two factors explained 51.75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis results show the model’s satisfactory fitting based on adequacy criteria goodness of fit index, goodness of fit index adjusted for degrees of freedom, root mean square error of approximation, and comparative fit index. The non-normed fit index was close to its reference value of 0.90.
Conclusion: In general, findings suggest that the Persian version of PSQI displayed satisfactory validity and reliability to measure the quality of sleep of Iranian people, at least citizens of Arak City, Iran.
Hossein Ali Ghanadzadegan, Alireza Sangani, Paria Jangi, Alireza Homayouni,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (5-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: The extent of internet use broadly influences the different aspects of life. Also, the cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors affect the internet dependency.
Objectives: Severe internet dependency creates a disorder, therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and internet addiction in nursing students, considering the mediating role of alexithymia.
Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive-correlational study based on structural equation modeling and specific regression equation. A total number of 361 nursing students (178 females and 183 males) were selected with the random sampling method, in Gorgan City, Iran, from October to November 2018. The participants filled the Zimet et al. (1988) social support scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Young (1996) internet addiction scale. Then, the collected data were analyzed with the regression structural equation modeling, in SPSS-18 and Amos-23 software programs.
Results: The regression equations showed a direct effect of social support on internet addiction and an indirect effect of social support on internet addiction with the mediation of alexithymia (P ˂ 0.01). Moreover, alexithymia positively affects internet addiction (P ˂ 0.01), and social support negatively affects alexithymia (P ˂ 0.01).
Conclusion: The study model predicts 33% of internet addiction variance. This research highlights the important effect of social support on internet addiction, which is mediated by alexithymia, in students. These results provide advisers and trainers with applicable methods to improve the psychological states of students.
Parvin Mostafazadeh, Seyyed Abdolmajid Bahreinian,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (5-2018)
Abstract
Background: Various protective mechanisms have been proposed to explain how positive and negative emotions increase marital satisfaction.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between personality traits and marital satisfaction with the mediating role of positive and negative affects.
Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive and correlational. In this research, 300 married women living in the eastern part of Tehran City, Iran, were selected by the available sampling method. The study instruments were five factors personality trait, marital satisfaction scale, and positive and negative affective questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis.
Results: The results of the test using Imus software showed that the indirect effect of personality traits on marital satisfaction was significant through the positive and negative affect mediators (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study support the effectiveness of interventions and training to remove and decrease negative emotions.
Majid Barati, Fatemeh Heidari-Moghis, Babak Moeini, Mohammad Babamiri, Maryam Afshari, Mohammadhasan Saati-Asr, Ghazaleh Kalantarnia, Saba Eslami, Atefe Ostad-Abdollahpour,
Volume 5, Issue 4 (11-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: Due to the increasing use of virtual networks and, on the other hand, ambiguities towards the positive or negative effects of these networks on the level of social interaction and social capital of users.
Objectives: This study aims to determine the relationship between the motivation to use virtual mobile networks and social capital among students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on 350 students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2017. The participants were selected by a stratified sampling method with the proportional assignment. Data gathering tools included the demographic form and questionnaires of motivation to use virtual networks and social capital. The subjects completed the tools through the self-reporting. The obtained data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation test and linear regression in SPSS v. 24.
Results: Most students (42.6%) used virtual networks 3-5 hours per day. Entertainment and pastime were the most reported reasons and motivations for using the virtual networks among students with 59% and 58.8% of the maximum achievable score, respectively. There was a positive and significant correlation between bonding and bridging social capital and the rate of virtual network usage. Among the related factors studied, gender, nativeness, self-disclosure, immersion in the media, pastime, information search, individual status, maintaining relationships, entertainment, and linking social capital have significant roles in explaining the variance of the motivation to use the virtual network among the students (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Further research is needed in this area because students increasingly use virtual networks and they are unfamiliar with other aspects of these networks affecting their health and life. University counseling centers should provide the required training based on the facts for the students about the positive and negative consequences of using virtual networks.
Mahdi Alimohammadi, Kianoush Zahrakar, Farshad Mohsenzadeh, Abdulrrahim Kasaee,
Volume 5, Issue 4 (11-2018)
Abstract
Introduction: In today's highly competitive world, organizations are constantly searching for new methods to improve the performance of their staff.
Objectives: The primary purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of group counseling based on motivational interviewing on employees' organizational citizenship behavior.
Materials and Methods: The research method was a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design with a control group. The study population comprised all employees of Hadid Sazeh Pishro industrial group, who were working in 2018. To complete the questionnaire, all staff completed the organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire. Then, among those who obtained a lower score than others, 24 subjects were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Next, group counseling based on motivational interviews was held for the experimental group in 18 sessions, two hours a week, for two sessions. During this period, the control group did not receive any intervention. After completing the counseling, both groups were taken the post-test to measure the effect of the intervention. Two months after the post-test, the groups were reevaluated to assess the impact of intervention during follow-up. The obtained data were analyzed with 1-way multivariate and covariance analysis in SPSS V. 22.
Results: Findings of the present study indicated that group counseling based on motivational interviewing had a positive impact on employees' organizational citizenship behavior (P<0.01) so that the mean scores of the staff in the experimental group in the post-test and follow-up were significantly higher compared with the control group.
Conclusion: In this research, the effect of group-based motivational interviewing counseling on the promotion of employee's organizational citizenship behavior was confirmed, and this fact can help managers of different organizations to prepare and plan appropriately to improve the organizational citizenship behavior of their staff.
Leila Habib Allah Nataj, Bahram Mirzaian, Mohsen Jadidi,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (2-2019)
Abstract
Introduction: Positive psychology, as a new domain of psychology, is focused on understanding and describing happiness and mental wellbeing and predicting their associated factors.
Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the virtue of courage scale and its relationship with social health and life quality among university students.
Materials and Methods: The research method was based on tool construction and development. The statistical population consisted of 10221 students of the Islamic Azad University of Sari Branch in the 2017-2018 academic year. Of whom, a sample of 384 subjects was selected. The required data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire of psychological courage regarding Islamic scholars 'views, the 26-item World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-26) questionnaire, and the Keyes Social Health Questionnaire. Nonparametric Spearman's rank-order correlation and multiple linear regression methods were used to determine the relationships between the items. The scale's content validity was assessed by the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) indices based on Leo's Table. SPSS was used for data analysis.
Results: The obtained results suggested that the value of the first factor equaled 5.47; therefore, it was a significant factor in factor analysis. In total, 7 factors explained 60.10% of the variance. The correlation coefficients between the subscales and the total score of courage, quality of life, and social health scales indicated a proper concurrent validity of the courage scale. To investigate the validity of the 31-item scale, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) was calculated, ranging from 0.83 to 0.93.
Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the psychological virtue of courage scale have been supported; thus, it could be used in future research studies. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between courage, quality of life, and social health in this inventory.
Lida Mirzakhani, Alireza Heidari, Fariba Hafezi, Parvin Ehteshamzade, Parviz Askari,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (8-2019)
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of positive psychotherapy on internet addiction and identity crisis in senior female high school students in Falavarjan City, Iran.
Objectives: the use of the internet and social networks greatly influences the values of adolescents and demands; the needs previously met by the family are now met by this new medium.
Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test; post-test and a control group design. The statistical population of this study included senior high school female students and their parents from Falavarjan City (Isfahan Province, Iran) during the 2018-2019 academic year. Forty female high school students were selected by a multistage cluster sampling method. Then, they and their parents were randomly assigned into the control and experimental groups. The tools used in the study included Family Communication Patterns, Generalized Pathological Internet Use Scale, and Identity Crisis Questionnaire. The intervention included 8 positive psychotherapy sessions for parents and 9 positive psychotherapy sessions for adolescents. The obtained data were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).
Results: The achieved results indicated that positive psychotherapy significantly reduced internet addiction (F=117.02, P<0.0005) and identity crisis (F=146.199, P<0.0005) in female adolescents (P<0.0005).
Conclusion: The study findings suggested that positive psychotherapy impacted Internet addiction and identity crisis in female senior high school students.
Somayeh Bagheri, Afsaneh Khajevand Khoshli, Javanshir Asadi,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (8-2019)
Abstract
Introduction: Satisfactory marital relations are the basis of the proper performance of families; it leads to qualification development, increased compatibility power, and adaptability among family members.
Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effect of Solution-Focused Couple Therapy (SFCT) on communicational patterns and flexibility in divorce applicant couples.
Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/ post-test and a control group design. The statistical population of the present study included all divorce applicant couples referring to the Marham clinic of Sari City, Iran, in the second half of the year 2017. Of them, 32 people were selected by purposive sampling method. To collect data, we used the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) by Christensen and Sullaway (1984) and the Flexibility Inventory of Dennis and Vander Wal (2010). as the obtained data we analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Besides, we employed the Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and t-test to investigate the hypotheses in SPSS. Additionally, the Scheffe posthoc test was used for the two-by-two comparison of the groups.
Results: The present study results revealed that the experimental and control groups significantly differed in the solution-focused technique, and the male demands/female withdraws (t=2.44, P≤0.000) and mutual constructive communication (t=8.39, P≤0.000) subcomponents. The effect of training solution-focused technique on flexibility (F=55.63, P<0.001), alternative (F=57.85, P<0.001), control (F=17.27, P<0.001), and alternatives for human behavior (F=26.56, P<0.001) of the study subjects was statistically significant.
Conclusion: SFCT affects communicational patterns and flexibility in divorce applicant couples. It is suggested that SFCT be the priority of clinical interventions to increase communicational patterns and flexibility in divorce applicant couples.
Raeis Hasan Raeis Saadi, Ali Delavar, Eghbal Zarei, Fariborz Dortaj,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (8-2019)
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between perfectionism and resilience by the mediating role of students’ academic adjustment.
Objectives: This was a descriptive, correlational, and path analysis study.
Materials and Methods: The statistical population consisted of all male high-school students in Bandar-e Langeh City, Iran, in the 2017-2018 academic year (N= about 1300). Using a multistage cluster sampling method, and Morgan and Krejcie’s Table, 400 individuals were selected. The data-gathering instruments were Ahvaz Perfectionism Scale, Resilience Scale, and Academic Adjustment Inventory for high school students. A path analysis was used to analyze the obtained data by SPSS and LISREL.
Results: The present study findings suggested that perfectionism decreased the investigated students’ resilience (B=-0.21, P<0.0001). Moreover, an educational adjustment had a mediating role between perfectionism and resilience (B=-0.24, P<0.0001). Besides, changes in the variance of resilience scores with the mediation of academic compatibility could be explained by perfectionism among the studied students (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The obtained data suggested that planning to improve students’ academic adaptability could play an essential role in increasing resilience by reducing the negative impact of their perfectionism.
Samira Ansari, Parviz Asgari, Behnam Makvandi, Alireza Heidari, Naser Seraj Khorrami,
Volume 7, Issue 3 (8-2020)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Due to the role of recognition in eating disorders, the identification of core beliefs and cognitive schemas becomes debatable. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy in psychological distress, body image, and eating disorder beliefs in anorexic patients.
Materials and Methods: This was an applied quasi-experimental study with a pretest and posttest design and control group. The statistical population of the study included patients with an eating disorder, attending the psychological, clinical psychiatric, and obesity treatment centers in Ahvaz, Iran, within the age range of 16-23 years in 2019. The subjects were selected using the purposive sampling method. In this study, the pretest (i.e., filling out the Eating Disorder Beliefs Questionnaire [EDBQ]) was performed before the schema therapy intervention. Then, the intervention was conducted on the experimental group; however, no intervention was carried out for the control group. After the termination of the treatment sessions (12 sessions of 45 min), the posttest was performed. Finally, 3 months following the termination of the treatment, the follow-up test was conducted. The data were obtained using the EDBQ, Psychological Distress Questionnaire, and Body Image Concern Inventory. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and SPSS software (version 22).
Results: The results of the present study showed that schema therapy led to a decrease in psychological distress (F=157.36, P<0.0001, Eta=0.89), body image concern (F=8.03, P<0.001, Eta=0.29), and eating disorder beliefs (F=13.85, P<0.0001, Eta=0.91).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that schema therapy reduces psychological distress, body image concerns, and eating disorder beliefs
Azam Ghavidel, Mohammad Sahebalzamani , Nader Gholi Ghorchian, Afsaneh Zamani Moghadam ,
Volume 7, Issue 4 (11-2020)
Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: Considering the importance of higher education and the fundamental role of faculty members in developing the quality of universities and establishing justice, it is necessary to correctly determine their performance, which is one of the main components of higher education. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a model for determining the faculty member workload at Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This multi-stage mixed study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, a qualitative research method was used to conduct 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 faculty members at Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran, in the academic year 2018-19. The qualitative data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's method and a content analysis approach. Subsequently, in the second stage of presenting a model for workload determination, 230 people were selected by stratified random method and Morgan table. Positive and negative emotions, self-regulation, and academic self-improvement questionnaires were used to collect the data. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed by expert opinions and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Qualitative content analysis method, structural equations, and LISREL were used in order to analyze the data.
Results: According to the results of the qualitative data, the dimensions of the initial model using the content analysis approach were classified into seven categories of "education and teaching", "research", "specialized activities outside the university", "entrepreneurship", "individual development", "culture", as well as "executive and managerial activities". Positive and negative emotions, self-regulation, and academic self-improvement questionnaires showed a good fit of the model.
Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be said that Azad Universities of Hamadan province, Iran, have not yet been able to consider appropriate activities for faculty members in the main categories of "research", "entrepreneurship", "individual development", "culture", and "other activities" that professors pay attention to. On the other hand, the main focus is on "teaching and learning" and "executive activities".
Seyedeh Mahdieh Hashemi, Shohreh Ghorban Shiroudi, Javad Khalatbari, Shahnam Abolghasemi,
Volume 7, Issue 4 (11-2020)
Abstract
Introduction: Marital infidelity is considered a shocking issue for couples and families and common phenomenon for counselors and therapists.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an integrated model of emotionally-focused therapy (EFT) and Gottman's model in internal cohesion and reduction of controlling behaviors in couples faced with spousal betrayal.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on two experimental groups and one control group with a pretest-posttest design. The statistical population of the study included all the women referring to one of the counseling centers in Tehran, Iran, during 2018-2019 due to marital conflicts, problems related to satisfaction, and need for the improvement of marital relationships. The study population was chosen based on purposive sampling after the random screening. The data were collected by the Internal Cohesion Questionnaire and Controlling Behaviors Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to eliminate the effect of pretest using SPSS software (version 22).
Results: The obtained results showed that the integrated model of EFT and Gottman's model had a greater effect on the comprehensibility of the experimental groups than that of the control group. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that EFT and Gottman's model had a significant effect on the reduction of controlling behaviors (P<0.001). The results also revealed that the integrated model of EFT and Gottman's model had a significant effect on internal cohesion and controlling behaviors, and this effect was lasting at follow-up (P<0.001).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that the combination of EFT and Gottman's therapy is an effective pattern in couples affected by infidelity and can be used as one of the therapeutic or educational methods in couple therapy programs.
Maryam Samalpoor Baba Ahmadi1, Alireza Heidari, Parviz Asgari, Behnam Makvandi,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (2-2021)
Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: Appropriate relationships in society are shaped based on healthy and intimate rapports in families. Divorce is regarded as one of the most important sources of damage to families and marriages. This study aimed to design and test a model to investigate the effect of moral intelligence and early maladaptive schemas on emotional divorce considering the mediating role of marital burnout in women referring to psychological centers in Ahvaz, Iran.
Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study included all the women referring to psychological centers in Ahvaz, Iran, during 2019. In total, 264 individuals were selected using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using an emotional divorce questionnaire, moral intelligence scale, early maladaptive schemas, and marital burnout questionnaire. Furthermore, the proposed model was evaluated using a path analysis method. A bootstrap test was utilized to test the indirect relationships. Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis through AMOS software were employed to examine the relationships among the variables.
Results: The results of this study showed the significance of all direct paths of the early maladaptive schemas with emotional divorce. Indirect pathways were also significant through marital burnout with emotional divorce (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The proposed model indicated an acceptable fit level and was regarded as an important step in recognizing the effective factors in the emotional divorce of women. Moreover, it can be useful as a model to develop stress management programs and control increased emotional divorce among women.
Shahla Khatibi, Mahmoud Gudarzi, Yahya Yarahmadi,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (2-2021)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Unresolved and dysfunctional marital conflicts are always accompanied by frustration and daily tensions, leading to ignoring the needs of the couples and declining the quality of their marital relationships. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of satisfactory marriage intervention on marital conflicts and marital frustration.
Materials and Methods: The present research method was semi-experimental with pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all married men and women with a spouse of 25 years and older in Zanjan, of which 30 people were selected by available sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The data were obtained through Sanaei and Barati Marital Conflict Questionnaire and Kayser’s Marital Frustration Questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics methods such as mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics by multivariate analysis of covariance and Spss.22 Software. The Shapiro-Wilkes test was used to test the normality of the covariance analysis test, and the Loon test was used to investigate the homogeneity of the variances. Also, the significance level of the tests was considered to be 0.05.
Results: The results indicated that satisfactory marriage intervention was effective in marital conflicts and marital frustration (p <0.001).
Conclusion: It can be concluded that satisfactory marriage intervention was effective on marital conflicts and marital frustration. Therefore, satisfactory marriage education leads to reducing marital conflicts and marital frustration, which is used to improve the quality of life of couples.
Abbas Almasi, Hasan Asadzadeh Dahraei, Faezeh Jahan, Ameneh Moazedian,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (5-2021)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Rational, emotional, and behavioral skills include self-awareness, as well as critical and creative thinking, which assist individuals in acquiring a deeper understanding of their personality, weaknesses, strengths, emotions, values, and identity. The present research aimed to compare the effect of the rational-emotional theory and strict discipline on rational, emotional, and behavioral skills among high school second-grade students.
Materials and Methods: The current study was conducted based on a pre and post-test design on three groups, including one control and two test groups. The statistical population consisted of 90 male second-grade high school students in Tehran during 2019-2020. The G*Power software was used to calculate the sample size. A number of 75 second-grade students were recruited for this study via the convenient sampling method. After that, the participants were assigned to three groups of 25 students. A self-made questionnaire of life skills, similar to Saatchi, Kamkar, and Askarian, was employed for data collection. Fifteen experts in curriculum planning confirmed the internal and external validity of the questionnaire. Moreover, its reliability was confirmed, rendering a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.92. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21) using multi-variant analysis of the covariance and Scheffe's Post Hoc test.
Results: Based on the results, the rational-emotional method had a more significant effect on students' rational (F=11.56, P<0.001), emotional (F=20.33, P<0.001), and behavioral skills (F=16.67, P<0.001), compared to the strict discipline.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that life skill training through rational-emotional theory brings about a marked increase in students' rational, behavioral, and emotional skills. Nevertheless, the strict discipline method revealed no significant association between training students on life skills and increased rational, behavioral, and emotional skills.
Reza Afzali, Parvin Ehteshamzade, Parviz Asgari, Farah Naderi, Zahra Eftekhar Soadi,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (6-2021)
Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on food craving, attention bias to food, and cognitive flexibility in people with an eating disorder.
Method: This is a pilot study with pre-test and post-test design and a control group. The study population consisted of 40 persons with an eating disorder who were purposefully selected using Binge Eating Scale, General Health Questionnaire, and clinical interview based on DSM-5 criteria. The participants were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. A pre-test was performed using a craving questionnaire, cognitive flexibility questionnaire, and food bias assessment tool based on the dot-prob paradigm. The intervention consisted of 10 sessions of two milliampere tDCS in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) area. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 23) through multivariate analysis of covariance.
Results: Based on the obtained results, tDCS treatment had a significant effect on food bias, cognitive flexibility, and food craving in people with overeating disorder (P≤0.05). Moreover, the results remained stable at the 45-day follow-up after the posttest.
Conclusion: Based on the results, the tDCS method along with other major therapeutic and psychological interventions can be effective in binge eating disorder. Therefore, the tDCS method can be promising and helpful as a suitable treatment modality with few side effects along with other major therapeutic interventions for patients with binge eating disorders.
Mahmood Dehghani, Hadi Ghazanfari Zarnagh, Ali Vafaee, Leila Ghiaee,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (6-2021)
Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: The Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) is one of the tools used to assess personality. Personality assessment helps to make decisions, diagnose, and choose the right treatments. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the standardization of some psychometric properties of the WUSCT among Iranian students.
Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive survey study included 287 medical students who were studying in Tehran, Iran, in the academic year 2015. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater agreement were used to assess the reliability; moreover, the convergent validity was utilized to evaluate the construct validity of the WUSCT. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21).
Results: The results of the present study indicated that the acceptable internal consistency of the WUSCT (P<0.001). Furthermore, the test re-test reliability of the WUSCT was determined at 0.86 (P<0.001). The correlation between the total scores of the two examiners was obtained at 0.88 (P <0.001). Moreover, the results of the convergent validity indicated the strongest correlation between ego development and ego strength (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that the WUSCT had the appropriate and acceptable validity and reliability in Iranian society. Accordingly, this test can be an appropriate tool for measuring personality.
Esmat Hassanpour, Amanullah Soltani, Zahra Zeinaddin Meymand, Alireza Manzari Tavakoli,
Volume 8, Issue 3 (6-2021)
Abstract
Background: Academic well-being is a great matter of concern for the researchers interested in the quality of life. The present study aimed to assess and develop an effective model of influential factors on students' academic well-being.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study included all 22,907students of the Islamic Azad University of Kerman during the 2018-19 educational year. Out of this population, 400 subjects were selected using stratified random sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire and educational well-being questionnaire (Tuominen-Soini et al.) were used to assess the influential factors on academic well-being. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 23) and Amos software (version 20) using statistics methods, such as mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multivariate regression, and modeling structural equations.
Results: The data obtained from structural equation modeling indicated that the extracted conceptual model had acceptable fitness and mentioned variables described influential factors on academic well-being.
Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, it can be concluded that stress, personality, achievement goal orientation, emotional achievements, psychological capitals, internal emotions, self-esteem, environmental supports, class management, and academic achievement were significant predictors of academic well-being.
Babak Bakhshayesh Eghbali, Ali Pourramzani, Amir Hossein Bahadivand Chegini, Laila Mirniam, Keivan Hasanzadeh, Sajjad Saadat,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (5-2022)
Abstract
Background and Objective: Resilience refers to a protective factor that reduces stress in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Given the significance of this issue, the present research aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) in PwMS.
Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of CD-RISC in the statistical population of Guilan MS Society (GMSS). In this study, 442 people with MS participated and responded to CD-RISC in an online survey. The data were analyzed in SPSS (version 23) and Amos (version 21) software packages.
Results: The confirmatory factor analysis results of the first stage with five factors revealed that 25 CD-RISC items benefited from high factor load and good fit indices were reported (ꭕ2=605.55; df=265; P-Value=.0001; ꭕ2/df=2.28; GFI=.88; CFI=.93; TLI=.92; RMR=.06; RMSEA=.05); therefore, CD-RISC has good construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the whole scale and subscales were calculated at 0.94 and 0.71-0.89, respectively, indicating the optimal reliability of CD-RISC in PwMS.
Conclusions: The current study presented evidence for CD-RISC validity and reliability. Further studies are recommended to ensure the psychometric properties of this scale in other chronic patients.
Reyhaneh Sigarchi, Shahnam Abolghasemi, Taher Tizdast, Mohammad Ali Rahmani,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (7-2022)
Abstract
Background: Aggressive behavior is considered one of the fundamental social problems in any society that is specifically noted due to its importance in childhood and adolescence period. The current research was performed to present the aggression model in teenagers to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, communicative skills, self-efficacy, and parents’ performance with the mediating role of avoidance insecure attachment style.
Methods: The present correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. The population of the research consisted of all female high school students of Tehran city, Iran, in the academic year of 2019-20. The samples were selected using a cluster random sampling method (n=384). The instruments used in this research to collect the required data included the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Bar-on Emotional Quotient Inventory, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Communicative Skills Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Adult Attachment Scale, and Family Assessment Device. The data analysis was carried out in LISREL 8.80 software using Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling.
Results: The results showed that emotional intelligence (β=-0.42, P<0.001), emotion regulation (β=-0.39, P<0.001), communication skills (β=-0.37, P<0.001), self-efficacy (β= 0.43, P<0.001), and avoidance insecure attachment style (β=-0.45, P<0.001) had a negative and inverse effect on aggression.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, communicative skills, self-efficacy, and parents’ performance with the mediating role of avoidance insecure attachment style could be an appropriate model for aggression in teenagers
