فصلنامه خانواده و پژوهش
سال نوزدهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1401)

This study set out to determine the impact of a family-centered problem-solving program on emotional regulation of mothers of students with autism spectrum disorder. The research had a pretest-posttest control group design with a follow-up session. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all mothers of students with autism spectrum disorder in Kermanshah in 2018-19 school year. Sixty-four students with autism spectrum disorder were studying in Besharat School which serves autistic students. Thirty mothers of the aforementioned students were selected using purposive sampling method and were randomly assigned to experimental (N=15) and control (N=15) groups. The experimental group was subjected to the family-centered problem-solving training for ten sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The research instrument included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003). The obtained data were analyzed via repeated measures analysis. The results indicated that the family-centered problem-solving program had a significant effect on the emotional regulation of the subjects and this effect was stable over time in the follow-up stage (p<0.01). The family-centered problem-solving program can improve the emotion regulation of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Hence, it is of high importance to utilize this program for mothers with autistic children.

This study aimed to assess the parents-adolescent interaction and students’ academic engagement relationship. This study also investigated self-regulated learning as a moderator in the relationship mentioned above.  This research had a correlational design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all 10th graders in Bushehr in 2017-18 school year from among whom 603 students (329 girls and 274 boys) were selected via random multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research instruments included Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990), and Student Engagement Scale (Reeve & Tseng, 2011). Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results showed that the model fitted the data. Parents-adolescent interaction was significantly associated with students’ academic engagement and self-regulated learning. Furthermore, there was a significant, positive relationship between self-regulated learning and academic engagement. Moreover, the results demonstrated that self-regulated learning played a mediating role in the link between parents-adolescent interaction and students’ academic engagement. Accordingly, it can be concluded that in order to increase students’ academic engagement, parents should pay attention to improvement of their relationships with their children and promotion of students’ self-regulated learning.

This study has been conducted as an effort to predict emotional maturity of female students based on authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful parenting styles as well as perceived social support. This research had a descriptive, correlational design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all female senior high school students in Karaj in 2016-17 school year from among whom 196 students were selected via multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research instruments included Emotional Maturity Scale (Singh & Bhargava, 1991), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and Parenting Styles Questionnaire (Naghashian, 1979). The obtained data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that authoritative parenting style and dimensions of perceived social support, i.e., family, friends, and important individuals, could positively predict students’ emotional maturity, whereas authoritarian parenting style could negatively predict emotional maturity (P<0.01). The dimension of important individuals played a more powerful role in predicting students’ emotional maturity. Permissive and neglectful parenting styles did not significantly predict emotional maturity. It can be concluded that emotional maturity develops through authoritative parenting style and dimensions of perceived social support facilitate this process. Hence, it is desirable that parents be encouraged to use authoritative parenting style and pay attention to the role “important individuals” plays in emotional maturity of female adolescents.

An extracurricular activity is an activity, performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school.  It is demonstrated that involvement in these activities have a positive impact on the participant’s life. Extracurricular activities instill key skills and personality traits that can be helpful in other walks of life. The purpose of the present study was to identify the comprehensive structure of extracurricular activities for female junior high school students in Yazd (District 1) in 2017-18 school year. This study had a mixed methods design (content analysis in the qualitative part and descriptive survey type in the quantitative part). The statistical population was comprised of three groups, i.e., school principals (28 individuals), female students (7000 individuals), and mothers (7000 individuals). In the qualitative part, ten school principals were selected through purposive sampling method and then interviewed based on saturation principle. In the next step, 375 students and 355 mothers were selected by random cluster sampling method and completed two researcher-made questionnaires. The qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed via content analysis and Friedman's ANOVA, respectively. The triangulation of the results showed that the extracurricular activities priorities for school principals, students and their mothers were sports activities, arts and cultural activities, skill-based and vocational activities, autonomous activities at home, educational and academic activities, and religious activities, respectively. The findings of this research can be utilized for designing and implementing extracurricular activities at schools.

This study has endeavored to explain the requirements and consequences of fostering research spirit in children. To this end, Iranian databases including Noormags, Irandoc, Civilica, Elmnet, SID, and Ensani were used to get 62 documents from 2001 to 2020. In the next step, 31 documents were selected and analyzed using PRISMA checklist indicators and based on relevance, effectiveness, and validity criteria. Furthermore, international databases including Eric, Sage, Elsevier, Google Scholar, and Taylor and Francis were used to get 43 documents from 2000 to 2020. Then, 19 documents were selected and analyzed based on relevance, effectiveness, and validity criteria. The data were analyzed via Altheide's process of document analysis. Analysis of the studies on the requirements of fostering research spirit in children resulted in identification of five main categories, including national and international needs, needs based on the most recent advancements in ICTs, needs related to children’s lives, children’s legal needs, and the educational system needs. In addition, the analysis of studies on the consequences of fostering children's research spirit resulted in identification of five main categories, i.e., development of children’s skills, boosting self-confidence, improving self-esteem, increasing children's participation, and developing knowledge about childhood experiences. Based on the identification of various factors related to the requirements and consequences of fostering research spirit in children, it is necessary that we plan for developing children as researchers. Accordingly, suggestions for developing children as researchers were presented.

The present research sought to compare the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with emotion regulation training (Gross Model) on academic procrastination, resilience, and depression in students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study had a quasi-experimental design. The population of this research was comprised of all male high school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Tabriz in 2018-19 school year. Purposive sampling method was utilized and the sample was drawn (N= 40). The subjects were randomly assigned to one control (N=15) and two experimental groups (ACT group, N= 13; ER group, N= 12). The control group did not receive any treatment. The research instruments included Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003), and the Beck Depression Inventory (1967). Data were analyzed using ANCOVA. The results revealed that after controlling the covariate variable (pre-test scores), there were significant differences among the three groups (depression: F=14.81, p<0.01; resilience: F=9.84, p<0.01; academic procrastination: F=15.15, p<0.01). Pairwise comparison demonstrated that both interventions were more effective compared with the control group. ACT group had a better performance in resilience, depression and academic procrastination. Compared with emotion regulation training, ACT reduced academic procrastination and depression and increased resilience to a higher extent in students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between theory of mind and academic anxiety mediated by motivational learning strategies among a group of high school students. The present study had a descriptive, correlational design. The statistical population of the study included all female 9th graders studying in public high schools in Qaemshahr in 2019-2020 school year. The sample size was determined based on the number of observed variables and allocation of coefficient 20 for each observed variable (11 variables). Considering the probability of incomplete questionnaires, the sample size was determined to be 300 and the sample was drawn using two-stage cluster sampling method. The research instruments included Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990), Achievement Anxiety Test (Alpert & Haber, 1960), and Theory of Mind Test (Steerneman, 1999). Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results revealed that theory of mind and motivational learning strategies exerted significant, direct effects on academic anxiety. In addition, motivational learning strategies played a mediating role in the indirect link between theory of mind and academic anxiety. In general, the research model was approved and the research variables could predict 62% of variance in academic anxiety. The present study underscores the importance of cognitive factors such as theory of mind and motivational learning strategies in explaining academic anxiety.

This study was carried out to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy and hopelessness in the relationship between family emotional climate and adolescents’ boredom. This research had a descriptive, correlational design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all female junior high school students in Tehran (District 11) in 2019-2020 school year from among whom 280 students were selected using random multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research instruments included General Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), Hopelessness Scale for Children (Kazdin et al., 1986), Family Emotional Climate Questionnaire (Nodargah Fard, 1994), and Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (Fahlman et al., 2013). The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and path analysis. The results indicated that family emotional climate had a significant, positive effect on self-efficacy, whereas it exerted a significant, negative effect on hopelessness and boredom. Also, self-efficacy had a significant, negative effect on boredom, whereas hopelessness exerted a non-significant effect on boredom. Furthermore, the results showed that self-efficacy played a mediating role in the link between family emotional climate and boredom, while hopelessness did not mediate the association between family emotional climate and boredom. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that self-efficacy is an important factor affecting adolescents’ boredom. Hence, enhancing self-efficacy is a proper way to help adolescents deal with everyday life problems and combat boredom.