https://www.recentpsy.com/ Recent Innovations in Psychology en daily 1 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.recentpsy.com/article_235779.html Although Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety symptoms, the specific psychological mechanisms underlying this change require further investigation. The present study sought to determine whether MBSR can reduce anxiety sensitivity in young men by enhancing cognitive reappraisal. Using a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test assessments and a waitlist control group, thirty male university students were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group received an eight‑session MBSR intervention consisting of weekly 90-minute sessions. All participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index--Revised (ASI-R) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that, compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant reductions in physical and cognitive concerns related to anxiety sensitivity, as well as a significant increase in cognitive reappraisal. Mediation analysis further demonstrated that cognitive reappraisal functioned as a key mechanism explaining how the MBSR intervention reduced cognitive anxiety concerns. These findings suggest that incorporating cognitive reappraisal strategies into mindfulness‑based interventions may enhance outcomes related to anxiety‑related cognitive processes in young men. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_243621.html The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of life expectancy in the relationship between family functioning and mental health among university students. In a correlational design, a total of 392 students from the University of Kurdistan (Sanandaj, Iran) were selected through convenience sampling during the second semester of the 2022–2023 academic year. Data were collected using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), the Snyder Hope Scale (SHS), and the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD). The findings indicated that there were positive and significant relationships between dimensions of family functioning, life expectancy, and mental health (P < 0.01). The path analysis model demonstrated a good fit. All direct effects of family functioning dimensions on life expectancy and mental health were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the examination of indirect effects revealed that the indirect effect of family functioning dimensions on mental health through life expectancy was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Accordingly, it appears that healthy family functioning enhances students' mental health by increasing their life expectancy. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_237052.html The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and risky behaviors among male adolescents. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design, and the statistical population consisted of male students in the first grade of secondary school in District Four of Karaj city (a city in Iran). A total of 315 students were selected through convenience sampling and completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC), and the Iranian Adolescents Risk-taking Scale (IARS). The findings indicated that adaptive emotion regulation strategies had a positive and significant effect on resilience (P < 0.01), but no significant effect on risky behaviors (P > 0.05). In contrast, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies had no significant effect on resilience (P > 0.05), but exerted a positive and significant effect on risky behaviors (P < 0.01). Resilience itself showed a negative and significant effect on risky behaviors (P < 0.01). Additional results revealed that only the indirect effect of adaptive emotion regulation strategies on risky behaviors through resilience was negative and significant (P < 0.01). In other words, resilience mediated solely the relationship between adaptive emotion regulation strategies and risky behaviors in male adolescents. Accordingly, it seems that reducing risky behaviors in male adolescents requires attention to the role of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and their impact on enhancing resilience. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_224136.html The aim of this study was to predict emotion regulation strategies based on negative automatic thoughts, with the mediating role of positive affect. Using a correlational design, 200 pregnant women in Yasuj(a city in Iran) were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Regression analysis revealed that negative automatic thoughts significantly reduced positive affect (P < 0.01). Furthermore, positive affect significantly predicted both adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (P < 0.05). While negative thoughts were associated with both types of strategies, their relationship with maladaptive strategies was stronger. In multiple regression analyses, positive affect emerged as a predictor of adaptive strategies, whereas negative thoughts predicted maladaptive strategies (P < 0.01). However, the Sobel test indicated that positive affect did not significantly mediate the relationship between negative thoughts and maladaptive strategies (P > 0.05), but it did mediate the relationship between negative thoughts and adaptive emotion regulation strategies (P < 0.01). These findings highlight the importance of managing negative thoughts in enhancing emotional regulation and suggest that boosting positive affect may help improve adaptive regulation strategies by reducing negative automatic thinking. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_243059.html The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of training based on Gardner's verbal and interpersonal intelligences on the reading performance and social skills of students with reading disorder. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all first-grade female students with reading disorder who referred to the Educational and Rehabilitation Center for Specific Learning Disabilities of the Ministry of Education in Qaen City (a city in Iran). The sample consisted of 30 such students, selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The research instruments included the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) and the Reading Diagnostic Test (RDT). The experimental group received ten 60-minute sessions of training based on verbal and interpersonal intelligences, while the control group received no such intervention. Analysis of covariance indicated a positive effect of the verbal and interpersonal intelligences-based training on students' reading performance and social skills (P < 0.05). Accordingly, this approach can be utilized to remediate reading difficulties in students with reading learning disabilities. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_225208.html The present study aimed to examine the structural model of eating disorders based on attachment styles with the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in employed women. The research method was correlational, and the statistical population consisted of employed women in hospitals in Hashtgerd city in 2023. A non-random convenience sample of 185 women was selected, and they completed the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS), the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Ambivalent attachment had both a direct (β = 0.30) and an indirect (β = 0.043) effect on eating disorders. Secure attachment only had an indirect effect on eating disorders (β = -0.091). The research model demonstrated good fit, and the predictor variables explained 31% of the variance in eating disorders. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that attachment styles, with the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation, are effective in predicting eating disorders in employed women. The results of this study can be utilized by mental health professionals in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_242984.html This study aimed to predict depression in married women based on family of origin functioning, perception of parental marriage, and emotional maturity. This descriptive, correlational study's statistical population included all married women residing in Rasht city (a city in Iran) in 2025. A total of 200 women were selected using purposive sampling and completed the Beck Depression Inventory-short form (BDI-13), the Family-of-Origin Scale (FOS), the Perception of Parents' Marriage Questionnaire (PPMQ), and the Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS). The findings indicated a significant relationship between family of origin functioning, perception of parental marriage, emotional maturity, and depression (P < 0.05). Stepwise regression showed that family of origin functioning (β = -0.24), perception of parental marriage (β = -0.27), and emotional maturity (β = -0.31) collectively explained 46.1% of the variance in depression. Accordingly, counselors and therapists can consider high levels of family of origin functioning, positive perceptions of parental marriage, and emotional maturity when planning interventions to improve depression in married women. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_225216.html The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on psychosomatic symptoms and health anxiety in women with physical illnesses. This quasi-experimental research followed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with psychosomatic symptoms and physical complaints (cardiovascular and gastrointestinal) who visited public healthcare centers in Mashhad in 2023. The study sample included 30 patients selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants each). The research instruments were the Psychosomatic Complaints Scale (PCS) and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18). The experimental group underwent an 8-session ACT intervention (90 minutes per session, held weekly). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in psychosomatic symptoms and health anxiety (P < 0.05). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was effective in reducing psychosomatic symptoms (η² = 0.80) and health anxiety (η² = 0.37). Overall, given the positive effects of ACT in alleviating psychosomatic symptoms and health anxiety in women with physical illnesses, this approach is recommended for psychologists and psychotherapists in the healthcare field. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_242985.html Given the escalating challenges in children’s mental health and academic achievement in Iran, there is an increasing imperative to strengthen self-regulation skills as a vital competency for addressing behavioral and learning difficulties. This study aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of self-regulation skill training on psychosocial and educational outcomes in Iranian children. A systematic search was conducted across the SID, Magiran, Ensani, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between March 21, 2021, and March 20, 2026. The search utilized relevant keywords related to self-regulation training. Out of 117 Persian articles identified, 20 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies, involving researchers and specialists in child and adolescent development, were analyzed using content analysis methods. The findings indicated that self-regulation skill training significantly impacts four categories of outcomes: improvement in academic indices, such as achievement motivation and academic self-efficacy; enhancement of mental health, characterized by reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression; strengthening of neurocognitive functions, including working memory and attention; and reduction in impulsive behaviors and increased social adjustment. The results suggest that self-regulation training serves as an efficient, multidimensional intervention for enhancing children’s quality of life and functional performance. It is recommended that preschool educators, teachers, and school counselors integrate these skills into daily classroom activities and student interactions, rather than treating them as isolated subjects. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_233019.html The present study aimed to investigate the role of emotion regulation difficulties, forecasting, and personal values in predicting the fear of loneliness among university students with dependent personality disorder traits. A sample of 135 students from Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, who were identified as having dependent personality disorder traits based on the Dependent Personality Inventory-Revised (DPI-R), was selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Student Loneliness Feeling Scale (SLFS), the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), the Future-Orientation Questionnaire (FOQ), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The results indicated a significant positive correlation between fear of loneliness and emotion regulation difficulties (p < .05), and significant negative correlations between fear of loneliness and both forecasting and personal values (p < .05). Regression analysis further revealed that emotion regulation difficulties, forecasting, and personal values collectively accounted for 68% of the variance in predicting fear of loneliness. Forecasting was found to have a greater share in predicting the criterion variable. The findings of this study suggest that forecasting, personal values, and emotion regulation difficulties have a significant impact on the fear of loneliness in students with dependent personality disorder traits. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_244718.html The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a specialized intervention program on alexithymia and dysfunctional thoughts among children of divorce. The research method was quasi-experimental, employing a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of children aged 8 to 12 years who had experienced parental divorce in Mashhad city in the year 1404 (2025–2026). The sample included 40 children selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (20 participants per group). The intervention comprised 12 group-based educational-supportive sessions of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP). Data were collected using the Children's Alexithymia Scale (CAS) and the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). The results indicated that the CODIP was effective in reducing alexithymia and dysfunctional thoughts among children in the experimental group compared to the control group, leading to a significant decrease in both variables (P < 0.01). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the CODIP, by focusing on emotional and cognitive skill training, serves as an effective tool for improving the psychological adjustment of children of divorce. It is recommended that this program be utilized as a standard intervention in counseling and psychological centers. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_234694.html Risky driving behaviors and the significant role of human factors in road accidents represent an important public health concern. This study investigated the relationship between neuroticism and neuropsychological functioning (frontal and temporal lobes, and basal ganglia) with risky driving behaviors among heavy vehicle drivers. A descriptive-correlational design was employed. The study population included truck-trailer and bus drivers attending driver health certificate service centers and vehicle inspection facilities in Najafabad (a city in Iran). Using cluster sampling, 100 participants were selected based on inclusion criteria. Data were collected through the Manchester Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation Systems Questionnaire (BIS/BAS). Neuroticism was significantly and positively associated with risky driving behaviors (P < 0.05). Neuropsychological characteristics of the frontal and temporal lobes and basal ganglia showed strong correlations with risky driving, particularly in slips and errors. The correlation coefficient between personality traits and risky driving behaviors was r = 0.75, while the correlation with neuropsychological characteristics was r = 0.68. Preventive and intervention strategies aimed at modifying and improving driving behaviors are essential. Enhancing drivers’ personality and neuropsychological attributes may reduce risky driving and contribute to road safety. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_243217.html The present study aimed to predict self-esteem in pre-adolescent girls based on sense of coherence and alexithymia. This research was a descriptive-correlational study, and its statistical population consisted of second-grade elementary school students in Jajarm (a city in Iran), during the academic year 2025-2026. A total of 278 individuals were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling and completed the Sense of Coherence Scale (SCS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The results showed a positive and significant relationship between sense of coherence and self-esteem, and a negative and significant relationship between alexithymia and self-esteem (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis also revealed that sense of coherence (β = 0.51) and alexithymia (β = -0.32) were significant predictors of self-esteem in pre-adolescent girls (P < 0.01). The findings of this study emphasize the importance of attending to emotional and social components during the pre-adolescent period and indicate that strengthening the sense of coherence and teaching emotional skills can play an effective role in enhancing self-esteem in girls of this age. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_235270.html The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of time management training in reducing social media addiction and learning anxiety among lower secondary school students. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures and a control group. The statistical population consisted of female lower secondary school students in Konarak County (in Iran) during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 30 students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received time management training across ten 45-minute sessions (once per week). All participants were assessed before and after the intervention using the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), and the Addiction to Mobile Questionnaire Based on Social Networks (AMQ-SN). Analysis of covariance revealed that time management training significantly reduced learning anxiety and social media addiction in the experimental group (P < 0.01). Based on these findings, time management training can be utilized as an effective approach to improve learning anxiety and mitigate social media addiction among students. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_244809.html The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of basic psychological needs in relationship between emotion regulation and vitality in friendships among university students aged 18 to 25. This correlational study investigated the relationships between variables using path analysis. In a correlational design, a total of 150 undergraduate students from Bahar Institute of Higher Education in Mashhad, Iran, were selected using convenience sampling method during the second semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Inventory (ERI), the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Relationships Scale (BNS-RS), and the Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS). The results indicated that the direct effects of integrated regulation on the need for competence, as well as on the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to vitality in friendships, were positive and significant. The direct effects of suppressive regulation on psychological needs and vitality in relationships were also negative and significant. Dysregulated regulation had a direct, negative, and significant effect on the need for autonomy and relatedness (P < 0.05). The indirect effects of emotion regulation on vitality in friendships, mediated by basic psychological needs, were significant. It appears that emotion regulation, by influencing the fulfillment of basic psychological needs, can affect individuals' vitality in young adulthood. Accordingly, enhancing emotion regulation strategies may facilitate increased vitality in friendships. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_243627.html The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between childhood trauma and marital conflict. In a correlational design, 420 married students studying at the University of Kurdistan (Sanandaj, Iran) during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ). The results indicated significant negative relationships between childhood trauma and self-compassion, and significant positive relationships between childhood trauma and marital conflict (P < 0.05). The path model demonstrated satisfactory fit indices. All direct effects of childhood trauma on self-compassion were negative and significant (P < 0.05). The indirect effect of childhood trauma on marital conflict through self-compassion was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Self-compassion played its strongest mediating role in the relationship between emotional neglect and marital conflict (β = 0.09) and its weakest mediating role in the relationship between physical abuse and marital conflict (β = 0.05). It appears that self-compassion plays a determining role in the transmission of early adversities to adult intimate relationships. Therefore, attending to the enhancement of self-compassion capacity within couple therapy protocols for individuals with a history of trauma is essential. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_244826.html This study aimed to investigate the associations between substance use, gambling disorder, and addictive behaviors among individuals undergoing treatment in addiction rehabilitation camps in Bandar Abbas City. Employing a correlational design, all individuals receiving treatment at these centers were enrolled through a census sampling method, resulting in a sample of 210 participants. Data were collected using the Gambling Addiction Screening Questionnaire (GASQ), the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI-19), and the Non-Prescription Drug Use Scale (NPDUS). The results of hierarchical regression indicated that for non-prescription medication use, substance use alone accounted for 12% of the variance (R² = 0.12), and the addition of gambling disorder significantly increased the explained variance (ΔR² = 0.09). For hypersexual behaviors, substance use alone explained only 4% of the variance (R² = 0.04), and the inclusion of gambling disorder did not yield a significant change (P > 0.05). The findings suggest that substance use and gambling disorder may serve as predisposing factors for non-prescription medication use. In the context of hypersexual behavior, substance use emerged as a more determinant factor. These findings may assist therapists and social workers in the field of addiction treatment to provide more active and targeted support to individuals undergoing treatment. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_247427.html The present study aimed to explain individuals' attitudes toward the dichotomy between uniqueness and universality in human nature as a function of attachment styles. This investigation employed a qualitative approach utilizing a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Participants were purposively selected from among master's students in psychology and counseling based on their scores on the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI). Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, ultimately resulting in the participation of 15 individuals (eight with secure attachment styles and seven with insecure attachment styles). Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a three-stage coding process (open, axial, and selective coding). The data analysis led to the identification of five principal categories: positive experience and valuation of uniqueness and difference; positive perception and emphasis on similarities and commonalities; dialectical attitudes (simultaneity and interweaving of difference and similarity); sources and contexts shaping attitudes toward difference and similarity; and attitudinal transformation over time. The dialectical attitude emerged as the core category, reflecting a simultaneous and complementary understanding of uniqueness and universality within human existence. The findings further indicated that attachment style alone does not play a determinative role in shaping this attitude. Rather than being a passive product of attachment style, attitudes toward fundamental issues of human nature arise from individuals' active agency, overarching worldviews, and the ongoing process of learning and development throughout the lifespan. Nevertheless, the experience of a secure relationship may function as a facilitative context for the perception of commonalities and a tendency toward closeness. The findings of this study underscore the necessity of adopting holistic and multifactorial approaches in the investigation of complex human phenomena. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_247705.html The aim of the present study was to develop and validate the Cold and Hot Cognition Scale (CHCS) among university students. Employing a correlational design across three separate studies, a total of 352 students were recruited from Shahid Beheshti University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and the University of Birjand in Iran. The preliminary version of the scale was developed based on theoretical foundations and prior empirical research. Content validity was assessed by fifteen subject-matter experts, with the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) yielding satisfactory levels. Exploratory factor analysis, in conjunction with parallel analysis, revealed a three-factor structure accounting for 51.72% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis further corroborated the adequate fit of the three-factor model. The reliability of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, with coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.93 for the cold and hot cognition subscales. Convergent and divergent validity were established through correlations with the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), yielding a correlation coefficient of r = -0.40 for cold cognition and r = 0.44 for hot cognition. Based on the findings of the present study, the Cold and Hot Cognition Scale (CHCS) demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties among university students and may serve as a valid instrument for use within this population. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_250416.html This study aimed to compare metacognitive beliefs and cognitive emotion regulation strategies between individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and their healthy controls. The statistical population comprised all women with OCD referred to the psychiatric emergency unit of Razi Hospital in Maragheh, Iran, in 2025. A sample of 60 participants (30 individuals with OCD and 30 healthy controls) was selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The findings revealed no significant differences between the OCD group and their healthy controls in the scores of refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, positive refocusing, acceptance, and perspective-taking (P > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed between the two groups in the scores of catastrophizing, rumination, other-blame, and self-blame (P < 0.01). Additionally, statistically significant differences were found between the OCD group and their healthy controls in the scores of uncontrollability and danger of thoughts, cognitive awareness, cognitive confidence, and need to control thoughts (P < 0.01). Individuals with OCD exhibit more maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and more dysfunctional emotion regulation styles compared to their healthy counterparts. It can be concluded that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs and dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies serve as discriminating variables between the OCD group and their healthy controls and may be considered in clinical diagnosis. https://www.recentpsy.com/article_248527.html The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of work-family conflict and self-criticism in turnover intention among married female nurses working in intensive care units. Using a correlational design, 159 married female nurses from the intensive care units of public hospitals in Rasht were selected through convenience sampling and completed the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS), the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS), and the Work and Family Conflict Scale (WAFCS). The results of hierarchical regression analysis indicated that work-family conflict significantly explained 32.2% of the variance in turnover intention (β = 0.53), whereas self-criticism failed to exhibit significant predictive power. Based on these findings, in order to retain valuable human capital within the healthcare system, it is recommended that healthcare organizations prioritize the revision and rigorous implementation of supportive policies, including the design of flexible work arrangements, facilitation of leave utilization, provision of workplace welfare services, and the promotion of a culture in which family responsibilities are more equitably distributed between spouses.