Psychological Achievements

Abstract The present study examined the effects of emotional intelligence training on social anxiety, social adjustment and emotional intelligence of Shahid Chamran University students. In this study experimental-control, with pretest-posttest and follow-up design, was used. The related population consists of all Shahid Chamran University undergraduate students. The sample includes 120 students who were selected randomly, according to a multistage sampling method. The instruments employed in this research were self-rated Emotional Intelligence Scale, by Brackett, Social Anxiety Scale, by Mattick and Clarke, and Social Adjustment, by Mazahari. The results of ANOVA and MANOVA showed that emotional intelligence training significantly reduced social anxiety and increased social adjustment and emotional intelligence; but there was no significant difference between girls and boys. In addition, the effects of emotional intelligence training intervention lasted for eight weeks.

Abstract This study was aimed at examining simple and multiple relationships of self-efficacy, locus of control, tolerance (as potential antecedents of entrepreneurship) with entrepreneurship in students of Shahid Chamran University (Ahvaz, Iran). 600 subjects were randomly selected for this study. 400 subjects (200 women and 200 men) were tested for the hypotheses, and 200 subjects (100 women and 100 men) were tested for the scale validation phase. Subjects completed five scales: Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO), Measuring Your Entrepreneurial Traits (MET), Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, The Scale of Tolerance-Intolerance Ambiguity, and the Locus of Control Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression statistical methods. The overall results indicate that, all examined antecedents correlate highly and positively with students’ entrepreneurship.

Abstract The present research was conducted to investigate the effects of Solution–Focused therapy on marital adjustment and marital communication in couples referred to Ahvaz Counsel Centers for problem disclosure. The population included all couples referred to this counsel. The sample consisted of 30 couples (from 43 couples) who were selected randomly for this study. The instrument used in this study was Marital Adjustment Spanier Scale. The design of this study was pretest–post test with control group. For pretest, all subjects completed the scale, and then the experimental group received intervention (solution–focused training). At the post-test stage the two groups completed the scale again. The results of this study showed that Solution–Focused Training increased marital adjustment in experimental group, in comparison to control group.

Abstract The effects of life skills training on social skills and behavioral problems of children 8-10 years old with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) was investigated in this study. This research is a semi-experimental design with pre-post tests and control group. 35 children who had received scores above the cut-off point on oppositional defiant disorder subtest of Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and their problems were also confirmed by the Teacher Report Form (TRF), were selected. Then Social Skills Rating System (Teacher Report Form) was administered to their teachers. A sum of 30 child with ODD who had received below scores on social skills subtest of SSRS and their behavioral problems were confirmed in behavioral problems subtest of SSRS were also selected. Subjects were divided into control and experimental groups. Experimental group received life skills' training for 10 weeks, two-hours a week. Upon the completion of the training, SSRS (Teacher Report Form) was administered as a post-test to both groups of teachers. The results were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and indicated that teachers in the experimental group reported a significant increase in subtests of cooperation (p>0.001), assertiveness (p>0.05), self inhibition (p>0.001) and total score of social skills (p>0.001) and significant decrease in behavior problems scores (p>0.01) of children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), as compared to the control group. 

Abstract The purpose of the present research was to study the effect of exposure to therapeutic method of death recalling (death awareness) on beliefs avoidance, and depression variables of obsessive– compulsive individuals. Therefore, 40 subjects suffering from obsessive–compulsive disorder were selected randomly from an accessible population and were placed in two experimental and control groups. All the subjects filled up Yale Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale in two stages, pre–test and post–test. Data analysis with MANOVA (P> 0.05) has shown that death awareness has positive effect on reducing the strength of O.C.D beliefs, avoidance and depression of individuals. By paying attention to the results of the present research it can be suggested to all psychotherapists all over Islamic Iran to use death awareness method as the elective therapeutic method for obsessive–compulsive disorder.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare juvenile delinquents and non-delinquents on the basis of sensation-seeking, self-esteem, affective family climate, and socio-economic status in Ahvaz. The statistical population of this research was all juvenile delinquents boys resident in Education and Modification Center. The sample consists of 92 juvenile delinquents boys who were selected randomly and 94 delinquents who were selected randomly from high schools, using stratified sampling. The scales used in this study were Sensation-Seeking Scale, Self-Esteem Questionnaire, Climate of Family Scale, and Socio-Economic Questionnaire. Multivariate and repeated measure analyses were used to compare two groups. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the tow groups on all dependent variables. The finding also revealed that there were significant differences between the two groups on three subscales of affective family climate.

Abstract The purpose of the present research was to compare four groups of Shahid Chamran University’s male students with different learning styles in terms of personality traits, achievement motivation and academic performance. To this end, 300 students were selected by multi-stage random sampling method, and the research questionnaires were completed by them. The results indicate that four groups of students with different learning styles were different, regarding to personality traits, achievement motivation and academic performance. Other findings showed that there were significant differences between four groups of students with different learning styles in terms of extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness, but in terms of neuroticism there was no difference between the different groups of students. In addition, students with accommodative learning style were more extraverted and open to experience than students with convergent learning style. Also, students with divergent learning style were higher in openness to experience, than students with convergent learning style, but also lower in assimilative learning style. Students with assimilative learning style were higher in agreeableness and conscientiousness than the convergent and divergent groups. More findings revealed that students with convergent learning style were higher in achievement motivation and academic performance than accommodative and divergent groups.