فصلنامه مطالعات روانشناسی بالینی
پیاپی 54 (Spring 2024)

Since their development the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales have been extensively used to assess schizotypy in clinical and nonclinical samples. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the short forms of the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales (SWSS) in an Iranian population.
Research

This research was a correlational design. Three hundred and twelve participants from universities students along with thirty-four schizophrenic patient, and fifty theirs first degree relatives were included in this study. Participants answered to Persian version of SWSS, Short form Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (SO-LIFE) Questionnaire and Coleridge’s STA scale.

The results showed internal consistency in terms of Cronbach's α, and test–retest reliability. The results of the two methods showed a good reliability for the shortened WSS. Concurrent validity was tested by comparing with SO-LIFE and STA which showed acceptable relationship. Differential validity was tested by comparing SWSS scores between schizophrenic patients, theirs first degree relatives and normal people which was acceptable.

Moreover, the factor structure of Persian version of SWSS showed two factor solutions, and resembles that seen in previous related studies, providing further cross-cultural empirical evidence of the two factorial structures of the WSS. The present results provide the further demonstration of the validity of the shortened WSS and support their use in the study of schizotypy particularly among Iranian population.

Shame is a multi-faceted self-conscious emotion which occurs when one considers themselves to not have fulfilled internalized societal standards and can be viewed as a social, psychological as well as a cultural phenomenon. The current study aimed to explore the lived experience of individuals receiving psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy. The study used a qualitative research method and described, in-depth, what shame is and how it’s experienced from the participants' point of view. The participants in the study were nine males and seven females who participated in an in-depth unstructured interview. Data were analyzed based on the seven-step Colaizzi's method. Based on the findings of this study, eight themes of “physical reactions,” “accompanying emotions,” “making mistakes,” “other,” “being subject to judgment,” “blame,” “annihilation,” and “having a negative view of self,” in addition to three sub-themes of “incompetence,” “worthlessness” and “inadequacy” were common in the lived experience of individuals of shame. The resulting themes were explored and discussed.

The purpose of this current study is to develop and validate the educational package of wisdom and its effectiveness on the happiness and emotional intelligence of students this research is semi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. For this purpose, the wisdom training package was first designed and compiled based on theoretical principles and existing packages according to the target group and was approved by experts.

The statistical population was all undergraduate students of psychology at Azad University, Roudehen branch, in the academic year 2021-2022. Among them, 45 students were randomly replaced into two control and experimental groups. The research tools included the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (1989) and the Bar-on Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (1997). Then (22 people) from the control group and (23 people) from the experimental group were placed in a pre-test session During 8 sessions of 90 minutes, which were held 2 sessions a week, the students of the experimental group were taught the wisdom educational package, while there was no intervention for the control group.

The results showed that the educational package of wisdom on happiness and emotional intelligence is significant at the level of 0.001.

It can be concluded that wise people are receptive to new perspectives, they take emotions seriously because they know that emotions convey important information about a situation, and they feel satisfied with the smallest happiness.

There is evidence that emotion plays a role in explaining generalized anxiety disorder, and on the other hand, dysfunctional emotional schemas are different in various psychopathological disorders, but few studies have addressed this issue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate emotional schemas in Iranian patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

For this purpose, 16 patients with generalized anxiety disorder in Mashhad, Iran were interviewed and their responses were qualitatively clustered to extract their emotional schemas and subthemes related to each emotional schema. A semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate patients' perspectives on emotion and their 14 emotional schemas. Patients' statements were transcribed and analyzed through comparative-inductive thematic analysis and coding. They were then categorized into main themes and subtheme naming was done in consultation with experts.

The findings showed that four emotional schemas of validation, duration, uncontrollability, and extreme rationalization are more involved in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 12 subthemes including mentalized emotional insecurity, desocialization, somatization, significance, uncertainty intolerance, unpredictability threat, extreme emotional perfectionism, continuity of catastrophic thinking, trait anxiety, superiority of others, emotional avoidance, emotional inflexibility, and extreme approval led to the creation and continuation of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

Therefore, addressing these 4 emotional schemas in patients with generalized anxiety disorder with a greater focus on the validation schema, which is more pervasive, can increase treatment efficacy. In addition, we can focus on them in educational and preventive protocols, not just intervention protocols.

An important cognitive control process is the ability to inhibit, that mature at different rates during childhood to adolescence. The aim of our research was to construct and validate computer-based Stroop animal size test in children for measuring selective attention and response inhibition.

In this survey study, we prepared the test, after the approval of experts and software development, at first test-retest reliability with a two week was evaluated in a separate sample (N=50, 5-12 years old children), then data was collected from 92 children 5-12 years old (46 girls and 46 boys) included 22 children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) studied in the academic year 2022-2023 in Alborz province. Participants decided the real size of animals by pressing response keys on computer. ANOVA, Multivariate analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients and Cronbach α were used to assess reliability and validity (p<0.05).

The findings showed test-retest reliability in significant range (p<0.01). The correlation was high for Stroopnum, (r=0.83), Inconsistent answers, (r=0.72), Wrong answers, (r=0.89) but lower for Consistent answers, (r=0.28) and Reaction time, (r=0.41). To assess the internal consistency, Cronbach Alpha 0.91 computed. ANOVA analysis for comparing children's function in different age groups was (p<0.000).

Multivariate analysis was used in comparing children with ADHD to the control group, results showed significant difference between groups in Stroop components, (p<0.007). This computerized Stroop animal size test had satisfactory reliability and validity, that can measure cognitive functions such as selective attention and inhibition in children.

In the theory of acceptance and commitment and recent theories, experiential avoidance is considered as an important factor in the etiology and continuation of mental pathology. This study was carried out to determine the efficacy and continuation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on reducing experiential avoidance of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this clinical trial, 16 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder referred to Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, with psychiatric diagnosis, were selected by purposive sampling method. They were treated for 8 sessions (each session 90 minutes) based on acceptance and commitment. Treatment was followed for two months after treatment. To collect the data, the check-list of symptoms of mental disorder (SCL-90), Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5), post-traumatic stress disorder list (PCL-5) and a questionnaire of acceptance and commitment (AAQ-II) were used.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy significantly reduced the experiential avoidance and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and the reduction lasted up to two months after treatment.

The treatment process and the results obtained in this study suggest that the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder of veterans, had the necessary efficiency and effectiveness.