نشریه روانشناسی شناختی
سال هشتم شماره 2 (پیاپی 24، تابستان 1399)

Integrated approaches try to connect different constructs in different theories and reinterpret them using a common conceptual framework. In this research, using the concept of processing levels, an integrated, three-level model of the cognitive systems has been proposed. In order to build an integrative framework for systematic interpretation of cognitive tests results, processing levels are divided into three categories of Feature-Oriented, Semantic and Conceptual Level. Since nervous system picks stimuli based on their features, processing levels in this framework is categorized based on the volume of stimulichr('39')s information, while Semantic network relates Feature-Oriented and Self-Oriented levels. To assessment the model quantitatively, 207 participants with impaired valance system from psychological clinics in Mashhad were selected by available sampling method. Participantschr('39') cognitive function was measured by The Beck Depression Inventory II, Semantic Distance Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Dot Probe Test, Stroop Test, Implicit Association Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Tets scores were organized as predictive variables, and the three processing levels were considered as mediating variables. The modelchr('39')s structure was analyzed through Structural Equation Model method with an exploratory approach. The best fitted model of data confirmed the three-level division of the research data. In this model, the path coefficient between semantic and conceptual constructions obtained 0.4. These results suggest that Feature-Oriented, Semantic, and Conceptual levels of cognition are differently processed, and cognitive tests results could be compared just in similar level according to the information volume of stimuli used. In previous studies, the relationship between Verbal Fluency test scores and the severity of Beck depressive score has often been controversial. Using the concept of processing levels, the relationship between these two variables have been reinterpreted.

Sleep has been shown to have an impact on the consolidation of motor memory in adults. However, sleep-dependent consolidation is not well-specified among children compared with adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sleep on childrenchr('39')s motor memory consolidation. The participants were 32 voluntary boys aging from 10 to 12 years old from Kerman, which had the necessary qualifications for entering the study. Serial Reaction Time Task was used to determine the implicit memory in children. The participants were allocated into a sleep group (8±1pm and 8±1am) and a wake group (8±1am and 8±1pm). Each group underwent five training blocks consisiting of 90 trails in each block in the acquisition phase. The retention (consolidation) and transfer tests were administered 12 hours after the acquisition phase in both groups. For analyzing data 2×2 and 4×2 Mixed ANOVA tests were used. The results in the retention and transfer tests showed that the reaction time was significantly different in two blocks (P > 0.05), but the effect of group and block interaction was not significant (P ≥ 0.05). The results also indicated that motor memory consolidation occurred in sleep and wake groups, however, it was not sleep-dependent. The findings revealed that children‘s performance was improved and enhanced not only through the training sessions, but after the learning phase in the offline period. In addition, the memory associated with a learned skill enhanced over time. It can be concluded that sleep was not the essential factor in the enhancement of offline learning and the transfer of sequential implicit motor task among children.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness and the attention bias program on attention, inhibition and emotional regulation among children with generalised anxiety disorder. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. The population of this study consisted of 30 children with generalised anxiety disorder referred to psychiatric clinics in Tehranchr('39')s 20th district selected by the available sampling method and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent an integrated program of attention correction and mindfulness for 8 sessions and the control group did not receive any intervention. In addition, parents of all participants completed the brief executive functions test at pre-test and post-test. Data were statistically analysed at two levels of descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (multivariate analysis of covariance). The results of this study showed that the program of correcting attention bias and mindfulness had an effect on the amount of attention, inhibition and emotion control among children with generalised anxiety disorder (p < 0.001). According to the findings of this study, it could be concluded that the combination of the treatment of attention bias and mindfulness improves executive functions in children with generalized anxiety and can be used in clinical interventions.

It is very stressful to constantly struggle to meet the expectations of others or those of one’s self, and it affects performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intervention based on Dweck’s mind set on academic expectations stress among gifted and talented school students. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of female students in the eighth grade of schools for gifted and talented students in Isfahan selected by a multi-stage random sampling method. Thirty students were selected by the Academic Expectations Stress Inventory (AESI) and were randomly assigned into a control group (n = 15) and an experimental group (n = 15). The experimental group received 8 sessions of 50 minutes as intervention. Data were analysed using MANCOVA in SPSS-23. There was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of the expectations of self, expectations of others, and the total scale. According to the effectiveness of intervention based on Dweck’s mind set in the case of improving the academic expectations stress in gifted students, it could be suggested that this intervention would be useful for reducing stress among gifted students.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) on the rate of drug abuse temptation  among adult men with substance abuse disorder in Safadasht.To achieve this goal, a statistical population was used that included all adult men with substance abuse disorder in the Akhavan center located in Safadasht.The experimental research design is a pre-test post-test with a control group and an experimental group that the sample size of up to 30 people (15 people in the experimental group and 15 people in the control group) is available using sampling method. The number of meeting held was 10 meeting and was held once a week in the center. In this study, a material temptation questionnaire as well as Transcranial electrical stimulation was performed on the sample group. Multivariate analysis of covariance was (Mancova) used for statistical analysis.  The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the mean of the temptation  of  drug abuse  in adult men with impaired drug abuse disorder (p>0.01);  Therefore, it could be concluded that there was a significant difference by eliminating the effect of pre-test scores between the propensity adjusted average of drug abuse according to group.  According to the results, it seems that Transcranial electrical stimulation of the brain can reduce the symptoms of cravings in people with drug abuse. Therefore, addiction specialists are recommended to use transcranial electrical stimulation as an intervention method in the treatment of these people.

Time is an abstract concept that can be understood by conceptual or cognitive metaphors. A questionnaire based on dataset and qualitative analysis has not been designed in Persian yet to investigate the metaphorical perception of different source domains with various mappings. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design, make and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of a time perception pattern as a metaphorical questionnaire based on cognitive dataset analysis among Persian speakers. The method of this study was descriptive and psychometric, and it was a survey type of research. For cognitive dataset analysis, a set of 28 contemporary Persian texts were first selected as a targeted sample and then 405 metaphorical expressions of time were extracted in 18 metaphorical mappings. It indicated source domains as object, matter, path and place, which are the most used time source domains. Based on cognitive dataset analysis, 41 questions with a Likert scale were made for the time perception pattern. The questions of this questionnaire were evaluated by 8 cognitive linguists and 2 psychometrics. Then, inappropriate questions were deleted and other questions were corrected or replaced, and at the end of the content, the validity index of the 30 remaining questions were calculated. This questionnaire was completed by 150 Persian speakers (with a bachelor’s degree and above) selected by at-reach sampling. The results showed that there was a reliability coefficient by using Cronbach’s alpha for the whole questionnaire and its components. Moreover, the results of factor analysis indicated that there were three factors of matter, place and object, which explained 37.12 % of the total variance. As a result, the time perception pattern as a metaphorical questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument in the case of Persian speakers.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy on the reduction of brain-behavioral systems Sensitveness and experimental avoidance of veterans with PTSD. The current study is a semi-experimental one with pretest-posttest design with control group, The statistical population of this study included all Veterans in Marand in the year of 2019, among which 30 were selected as veterans with PTSD who referred to pouyameher Counseling and Psychological Services Center. Were selected through purposive sampling method and randomaly assigned to two groups of experimental and control. The data were collected using a posttrumatic stress disorder checklist (military version), Behavioural inhibition and behavioural activation system scales (BIS/BAS) and acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ). Then, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy were performed for 12 sessions (90 minutes in per session) each week for the experimental group. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 using multiple covariance analysis. After controlling the effects of pretest, the mean scores of behavioural inhibition and behavioural activation system and experiential avoidance were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group (p<0.001). Training trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy education can be effective reduces brain-behavioral systems and experiential avoidance of veterans with PTSD. Therefore, the design and implementation of intervention based on this treatments can be useful in educating and promoting mental health in veterans with PTSD.