International Journal of Psychology
Volume:15 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2021

This research aimed to study the effects of academic engagement, quality of education, and peer-assisted learning on academic motivation as an influential variable in the academic achievement of vocational, and technical schools’ students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a correlation matrix, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. As a result of the structural equation model, academic engagement (T=4.49), peer-assisted learning (T=2.38), and quality of education (T=3.04) have a greater direct influence on motivation than academic achievement (T=1.96). The only indirect effect on the quality of education (T=2.01) is significant, thus mediating the role of academic motivation in the academic achievement confirmed the effectiveness of quality of education. The findings and outcomes of this study are useful for teachers, principals, and policymakers in the field of education to improve the quality of teaching, and learning.

The increasing number of cellphone applications has enhanced the likelihood of Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU). The current cross-sectional and descriptive-correlation study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and predictors of PSU among women. The research society was all married women in West Azarbaijan and East Azarbaijan provinces in Iran. Of that, 452 women participated in the research through convenience and purposive sampling. Contingency tables, zero-order Pearson correlation, Chi-squared, Cramér's coefficients and a stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the data. To collecting data Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire-Revised, Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale, University of California Los Angeles Loneliness version III, and some demographic items were used. Results showed that more than half of the women used smartphones to communicate (besides talking) (57.2%), most frequently used WhatsApp (36.6%), Instagram (26.9%), and Telegram (21.6%). Furthermore, 37.8% of the participants used smartphones at a slightly problematic level, 10% at the problematic level, 3.5% at a very problematic level. Moreover, the regression analysis results also revealed that loneliness, marital satisfaction, and duration of marriage could significantly predict PSU. According to the finding’s, Iranian married women are less involved with PSU, however features such as loneliness, marital satisfaction, and years of marriage could explain individuals’ tendency to PSU. These factors are thus recommended to be considered in the prevention and treatment of PSU.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic and relapsing disorder for which various interventions have been introduced. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) was developed to treat patients' stressful events, improve social and circadian rhythm disturbances, and increase treatment adherence. This quasi-experimental study, with pre-test, post-test, follow-up, and control group, aimed to investigate the effectiveness of IPSRT on depression and emotional instability in patients with bipolar disorder Type 1 treated with medication.
The statistical population included all male patients with bipolar disorder, type 1, who were referred to Azadi Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Tehran during 2020-21. Using a convenience sampling method, participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=12) and a control group (n=12). The experimental group received IPSRT in twelve 90-minute sessions, whereas the control group was on the waiting list. We used the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004) and analyzed data using SPSS-27 software with the Mann–Whitney U test. The findings revealed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of depression and emotional instability in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. IPSRT had a positive effect on reducing depression and emotional instability (p<.05). The results of this study showed the efficacy of IPSRT on depression
and emotional instability in patients with bipolar type 1. Thus, this method can be used as an interventional and therapeutic method to reduce depression and emotional instability in bipolar type 1 patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the parenting effectiveness of training self-efficacy skills and psychological hardiness on the subjective vitality of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Tehran. The current research was applied and aims to use a field experimental design (pre-test - post-test with the control group). The statistical population includes all mothers of children with ASD in Tehran in 2020 referred to private and government rehabilitation centers to receive services. Out of the statistical population, 30 mothers of children aged 7 to 18 with ASD were selected by cluster sampling. Then, they were randomly classified into two groups: Case (15 mothers) and control (15 mothers). The subjective vitality scale questionnaire of Ryan and Frederick (1997) standard protocols of teaching Saunder’s parenting self-efficacy skills (2003), and Bailing protocol psychological hardiness in cognitive -behavioral way (2009) were used in the  research. The case group was trained for 8 sessions of 90 minutes per week in connection with these protocols. Analysis of statistical data using covariance showed that the training has a positive effect on increasing the subjective vitality of mothers (P<0/05). Based on the data obtained from the post-test, the participants of the case group had higher subjective vitality rather than the control group.

The current research investigated the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on anxiety, differentiation of self, and ego strength of men with generalized anxiety disorder working in Asaluyeh. This was a practical, quantitative, pretest, posttest, three-month follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population was 400 men with generalized anxiety disorder working in Asaluyeh. 30 men were selected by cluster sampling. They were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. For the experimental group, gestalt therapy intervention was conducted during 8 sessions for 2 months. To collect information, standard questionnaires were used, including the Psychological Inventory of Ego Strength (PIES), Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). To analyze the data, analysis of covariance was used. The difference inanxiety, differentiation of self, and ego strength between the two experimental and control groups in the post-test and follow-up was statistically significant. The obtained results indicated the effectiveness of gestalt therapy on anxiety, differentiation of self, and ego strength of men with generalized anxiety disorder working in Asaluyeh. Also, the effect of gestalt therapy on anxiety is stable in the long term.

The negative consequences of addiction among employees for individuals and organizations is severe, so understanding the underlying factors of substance abuse potential in these individuals are very important. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of alexithymia and executive dysfunctions on employees' addiction potential. It was a cross-sectional study. Using self-report tools and random sampling, 128 employees participated based on Cochran's sample size formula in this research. To collect the data, the Addiction Potential Scale (APS-1992), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20: 1994), Stroop tests and Dual two back Computerized Test were used. Based on statistical analysis, there was a significant correlation between the variables of difficulty in emotion recognition, difficulty in emotion description, selective attention, working memory(reverse) and substance abuse potential (p<.05). The multiple regression results indicate that the predictor variables together explain 17% of the variance of the adjusted addiction potential index. According to the results, the speed of selective attention (p <.05, t = -2.11, t=-.10), accuracy of working memory (p <.05, t = -.247, B= -.053), and emotion recognition difficulty (p = .05, t = 2.07, B= .157), predict significantly the addiction potential index. examining the simultaneous correlation of alexithymia and executive dysfunctions with the employees’ addiction potential can be a practical step in predicting substance abuse in workplaces.

Relying on expectation-value theory as a guide, the study was focused on both the direct effects and mediating roles of benefit, and psychological and situational costs on academic motivation and academic performance. This study was conducted with the aim of predicting motivation and academic performance based on expectation-value theory by the mediating role of benefit, and situational and psychological costs. The research method was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of this study included all students of Bu-Ali Sina University of Hamadan city-Iran. 395 students were selected from the faculties of Economics and Social Sciences, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Literature, Agriculture, and Art as the research sample using available sampling method. The instruments were Academic Motivation Scale (Rashid & Delfan Beiranvand, 2019) and the Expectation-Value-Cost-Benefit Scale (Rashid & Delfan Beiranvand, 2023). The mean of the students’ academic performances- grade point average or GPA -in their past semesters was considered the criterion for their academic performance. The data were analyzed by path analysis with SPSS25 and LISREL software. The results indicated that the proposed model fitted the experimental data. In addition, the results of path analysis showed that the effects of expectation on motivation (β= .19, p< .01) and academic performance (β= .15, p< .05) were significant. The effects of value on motivation (β= .20, p< .01) and academic performance (β= .13, p< .05) were significant. The effect of benefit on motivation (β= .17, p< .01) was significant, while the effect of benefit on academic performance (β= .04, p> .05) was not significant. The effect of situational cost on motivation (β= -.05, p> .05) was not significant, but this effect was significant on academic performance (β= -.16, p< .05). The effects of psychological cost on motivation (β= -.22, p< .01) and academic performance (β= -.23, p< .01) were significant. Indirect hypothesis using Bootstrap test were tested. Therefore, there are important and new implications concerning the role of benefit and cost as well as expectation and value in motivation and academic performance of Iranian students.

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of motor-based cognitive rehabilitation in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms of adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The current study is semi-experimental research using a pre-test-post-test and a 3-month follow-up with a control group design. Thirty male and female individuals aged 14 to 18 years’ old who had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and were seeking treatment at counseling and psychological services centers in Ahvaz participated in the study. Participants met the inclusion criteria were selected using a convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The mean and standard deviation age of the participants in the experimental group was 16.5±1.20, while in the control group, was 16.6±1.19. Before the intervention, participants were evaluated using appropriate instruments, including the Go/No Go Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. After the evaluation, the participants in the experimental group underwent 12 sessions of cognitive rehabilitation treatment. Each session lasted 45 minutes. The participants in the control group did not receive any intervention. Participants were re-evaluated immediately after completing the intervention sessions and again three months later. MANCOVA and separate ANCOVAs analyses showed that motor-based cognitive rehabilitation can lead to improvements in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and a reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < .05). Based on the research results, motor-based cognitive rehabilitation can be used as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of mindfulness training on work-life balance and safety behaviors in an industrial company in Ahvaz. This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The participants consisted of 40 employees who were selected through convenience sampling method; they were randomly assigned into the experimental and the control groups. The instruments included Work-life Balance questionnaire (Wong & Ko, 2009) and Safe Behaviors questionnaire (Saleh, 2010), which were administered to both groups in the pretest and posttest phases. The experimental group received the training intervention of mindfulness based on Cullen and Brito Pons’s (2015) model during eight 90-minute sessions. While the control group received no intervention. The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance using SPSS software (version 24). The results showed that mindfulness training led to an increase in work-life balance and safety behaviors in the experimental group compared to the control group. According to the obtained results, it was suggested that managers hold a mindfulness program and increase work-life balance, safety behaviors, and the psychological well-being of employees. Thus, long-term benefits to the entire organization and employees can be obtained.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common, chronic, and debilitating mental disorder. The present study investigated the effects of cognitive self-compassion training with emphasis on poetry therapy on the psychological well-being and symptoms of PTSD in women. This is a quasi-experimental study of the pre-test/post-test type using a control group. The statistical population comprised a total of 32 women suffering from PTSD in Khorramabad city, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received cognitive self-compassion training with an emphasis on poetry therapy in ten 90-minute sessions based on the cognitive self-compassion intervention of Neff (2011) and related poems. The study scales included the Ryff Scale of Psychological Well-Being (1989) and (1998). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of covariance by SPSS-23 software. The scores of the psychological well-being and PTSD in women with this disorder before and after the intervention were significantly different. The experimental group showed a significant increase (F=3.70, p<.05) in the psychological well-being score and a significant decrease (F=9.26, p<.05) in the PTSD score compared to the control group. Considering the positive effect of this treatment, therefore, mental health professionals are recommended to use this treatment for PTSD patients.