فصلنامه تازه های علوم شناختی
سال دوازدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 48، زمستان 1389)

This research was conducted with the purpose of studying the moderating role of attribution in relation between belief in a just world with aggressive reaction among female students. Research statistical population were the female students of an art school in Esfahan city (360 persons). Among them as a research sample group, 180 persons were selected using simple random sampling and then randomly assigned to three situations: hostile, benign and ambiguous (each group 60 persons) attribution. Students’ attribution of each group has manipulated on the basis of three situationary scenarios. Research instruments including: belief in a just world for self scale (8 items), belief in a just world for others scale (with 8 items), troublemaking (with 3 items), aggressive reaction (with 2 items) and social desirability questionnaire (with 6 items). For entering situation variable (hostile, benign and ambiguous attribution) in data analysis, contrast coding has been used. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and moderated hierarchical regression analysis. Results from moderated hierarchical regression analysis showed that situational attributaion variable (hostile=1, benign=-1, and ambiguous=0) and trouble making (high and low) have moderating power in relations between belief in a just world for self and others with aggressive reaction. Evidences from separate regression analysis for low and high troublemaking on the basis of three situation, that is hostile, benign and ambiguous situations, revealed that in high troublemaking and hostile group there are positive relations between belief in a just world for self and others with aggressive reaction, but in low troublemaking and in two groups of benign and ambiguous situations, there are negative relations between belief in just word with aggressive reaction.

The aim of the current research was to investigation of efficacy of neuropsychological interventions for improving academic performance of children with mathematics learning disabilities. For this purpose, 30 third grade elementary students with math learning disabilities that were selected using multistage random cluster sampling (each group consist of 15 children). The instrument of this research included neuropsychological test of NEPSY, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Cildren (WISC), Keymath test, math academic performance test and Clinical Interview the design was experimental and neuropsychological interventions was performed in experimental group. Data was analyzed by analysis of Covariance. Findings indicate that neuropsychological interventions can improve academic performance of children with mathematics learning disabilities.

In this study, the ability of identify of first phoneme words and nonwords and other variables were analyzed in 5 to 6 year-old Persian- speaking children in Tehran. This study was descriptive-analytic. 100 normal and 5-6 year-old Persian-speaking children (50 girls and 50 boys) were compared. The tasks were included 24 words and nonwords in first situation. The validity and reliability of tasks were computed by CVI, ICC, SEM and the comparisons of words and nonwords and other variables were computed by paired sample t-test and the comparisons between girls and boys were studied by independent sample t-test. The results showed that these sections had appropriate validity and reliability. Scores mean of fricative and voiceless consonants and target phoneme in first syllable of words were significantly more than stop and voiced consonants and target phoneme in second syllable words (p<0.05). Scores mean of first phonemes of words and nonwords was significantly different (p<0.05). Also, the mean scores of girls and boys were not statistically different (p=0.78). There are many variables that influence on the ability of first phoneme identifies of words. The identify of first phoneme of words was easier than those of nonwords. Although, scores mean of girls was more than those of boys, but this different was not significant. These tasks are good measures for assessment of identify of first phonemes of words and nonwords in children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of self-efficacy and perceived instrumentality on academic achievement through the mediation of self-regulating learning. For this reason, 400 eleventh students (200 male, 200 female) were chosen randomly and completed a questionnaire which consists 3 sub scales. The structural modeling analysis indicated that self-efficacy and perceived instrumentality had a direct and significant impact on academic achievement, and the result indicated that relationship between self-efficacy and perceived instrumentality was mediated by self-regulating learning. In this model, all regression weights were statistically significant and predictors explained %54 variance of academic achievement. In general, the results indicated the direct and indirect impact of self-efficacy and perceived instrumentality (through mediation of self-regulating learning) on academic achievement.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT) compare to fluvoxamine and the combination of MCT with fluvoxamine in improving metacognitive beliefs and subjective distress in treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In an experimental study, 21 OCD outpatients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: MCT, fluvoxamine and combined treatment group. All the patients received 10 weeks of treatment. Two questionnaires were administered at pre-treatment and post-treatment: Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) and Metacognitions Questionnaire-Short Form (MCQ-30). Results showed that unlike the fluvoxamine the MCT and combined treatment lead to significant improvements in positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry, need for thought control, cognitive confidence and subjective distress (P<.01). There were no significant differences between MCT and combined therapy (all Ps>0.05). MCT and the combination of MCT with fluvoxamine are more effective than fluvoxamine in improving metacognitive beliefs and subjective distress in treating OCD.

Comparison of self-regulation of emotional and motivational executive functions in subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder based on Barkley's model. In this ex post facto research, 50 male students with ADHD (ages 9 to 11) were selected using Child Symptom Inventory-4 (SCI-4), clinical interview and Raven's Intelligence Test. The subjects were assigned to two groups of ADHD-PHI (predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type) and ADHA-PI (predominantly inattentive type) with 25 subjects in each group. The subjects were then assessed by Bender-Gestalt Test, Discriminative Reaction Time Test, and researcher-made tasks. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. There was a significant difference between two groups in behavioral inhibition (p=0.001) and self-regulation of emotion and motivation (p=0.001 and p=0.01). In other words, the students with ADHA-PI had a better performance in behavioral inhibition and self-regulation of emotion and motivation in comparison with the group with ADHD-PHI. In general, findings suggest that both groups can be differentiated based on etiological factors. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that due to a primary deficit in behavioral inhibition in ADHD-PHI, this group had more difficulties and deficiencies on executive functions than the group with ADHD-PI. Therefore, Barkley's model of ADHD was confirmed.

Recently several clinical and social psychologists, in line with their empirical and objective researches, have stepped toward determining the role of "content" of various thoughts and its relation with "conscious awareness". They also interested on importance of thought strategies, perceptions and the way of individual interpretation on behavior and emotion. Intense negative and unwanted intrusive thoughts may occur in conscious awareness of normal individuals which ultimately can develop negative moods, however these types of intrusive thoughts, which at times may even seems unpleasant, are usually rare, controllable and easily can substitute by positive thoughts. Generally, these intrusive thoughts are common in normal population. At present, one of the most important issues in psychiatric disorders literature (depression, insomnia, generalized anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, eating habits, psychoses and sexual behaviors) is study on similarities between content of these thoughts and conscious awareness in clinical and non clinical population. Considering the role of negative cognition issues as a key and pathogenic factor in psychiatric disorders, the aim of this review is to describe the recent developments on the role of thoughts and conscious awareness in clinical and non clinical population. Therefore this review may also lead us to identify content of the unwanted intrusive thought as well as mechanism of its development in clinical population.