Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a persistent neurodevelopmental disability that persistent challenges in the development of social communication, speech, non-verbal communications also behavioral patterns of a child with this disorder can affect mother-child interaction. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the factors affecting mother's adaptation in order to promote mother's health and improve mother-child relations. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the role of patience and moral intelligence in predicting the action control components (action and state orientation) of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. The statistical population included about 300 mothers with children with autism spectrum disorder who were members of the male-manahad and self-organized group "Negar's Autism Experimental Question and Answer; Ilya's Mother" in Tehran, of which 169 people were selected by convenience sampling method.To measure the research variables, Hossein Sabet Patience Measurment Scale (PS), Lenick and Kiel Moral Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ), Action Control Scale-Revised (ACS-R) were used in the internet implementation method. Data analysis was done using spss software and descriptive statistical techniques, Pearson correlation analysis and multivariables regression analysis. The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between patience and moral intelligence with the components of disengagement, initiative and persistency and a negative and significant relationship with the components of preoccupation, hesitation and volatility. Therefore, the findings indicate the role of patience and moral intelligence in increasing action orientation and reducing state orientation in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Keywords: Patience, Moral Intelligence, Action Control, Cction Orientation, Sstate Orientation.
 
 
 
Extended Abstract

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the important childhood disorders that includes a range of neurodevelopmental disorders and continues throughout life (Nahar, Zambelli & Halstead, 2022). Compared to other social and emotional disorders, this disorder has a confirmed and clearer neurological basis (Kalaivnai & Kalimo, 2018), which is created as a result of abnormal brain development and affects a person's cognitive and social abilities (Perlman & Howe, 2022). The main characteristic of this disorder is mentioned as a range of developmental failures in two main areas; a) failure in communication, social development, and behavioral patterns and b) limited, repetitive, and stereotyped interests and activities (Hyman, Levy & Myers, 2020; Zhou et al, 2018). In this direction and during the late and difficult diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, the lack of definitive and effective treatments and the not very favorable prognosis of this disorder, increasing psychological pressures are imposed on parents (Aghili et al., 2022). Since the mother is often the first person who is in direct and continuous contact with the child and according to the norms of society and family, she is more responsible for taking care of the children than fathers for this reason, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder endure a complicated and very challenging life compared to fathers (Frantz, Hansen & Machalicek, 2018) as well as compared to mothers of normal children, mothers of children with chronic diseases, and mothers of other children with special needs (Gobrial, 2018).
Therefore in new research, more attention has been paid to the effects these children have on their parents including their mothers. Researchers believe that there are many moderating factors between mothers' mental pressures and child disorders (Falahzadeh et al., 2017). In such a way, if mothers with a child with autism spectrum disorder can see the desired situations in a new way, in fact, their approach to the emergency situation should be multi-dimensional, in that case, they can find ways to deal with it properly according to their personal abilities and environmental factors (Rasouli & Kalantari, 2017). Action control as a retrospective strategy is one of the self-regulation processes that refers to the ability to plan and implement goals in the face of problems and challenges and includes aspects such as: thinking through long-term goals, resistance to temptation, delaying gratification, and controlling emotions; a problem that mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder face because of the constant stress and heavy emotional burden that having a child with this disorder imposes on them (Ingersoll & Hambrick, 2011).
To help these mothers, if the solutions used are suitable for their social contexts, the work of treatment and education will be more effective. In this regard, the review of concepts such as patience and moral intelligence showed that these two variables have a close semantic relationship with many psychological characteristics and dimensions of action orientation.
Research Question(s)
1- Determining the role of patience and moral intelligence in predicting disengagement_ preoccupation in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
2- Determining the role of patience and moral intelligence in predicting initiative_hesitation in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
3- Determining the role of patience and moral intelligence in predicting persistency_volatility in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
2- Literature Review
People with action orientation can regulate emotions intuitively, flexibly, efficiently, and non-repressively, such as the ability to stop thoughts and reflections without any external help. In addition, these people can reduce negative emotions in response to negative life events and continue on their way after failure. In such a way, they can flexibly adapt to the environmental requirements and show more advanced cognitive control against it. Therefore, action orientation is associated with commitment, certainty, low levels of negative emotional thoughts, less vulnerability to stress, and economical processing of information. On the other hand, people with static orientation are not able to perform self-regulating behaviors and tend to ruminate on negative events in life, which reduces the available cognitive resources for moving forward. Therefore, state orientation is also related to the lack of self-regulation ability, rumination, reduction of cognitive resources to perform committed activities, and the inability to activate appropriate adaptive processes (Farokhi & Hossein Chari, 2013).
Considering that patience is known as one of the factors that reduce nervous pressure and help people adapt to life's adversities and challenges. on the other hand, it is a structure that allows people to show emotional self-regulation, self-monitoring, and the ability to restrain inner desires against suffering and adversities (Ranjabr et al., 2021; Khormaie, Azadi Deh Bidi & Haghjo, 2015), hence it seems to have similarities to the dimensions of action orientation.
Background research shows the importance and effectiveness of patience in reducing negative emotions and depression, increasing the level of happiness, well-being, and psychological well-being (Sharifi-Saki et al., 2017; Mirzaie-Fandokht et al., 2016; Sartipi, Sohrabi and Pasandideh, 2015; Zare Bouani & Hossein-sabet, 2017; Hossein-sabet, 2017). Based on the research of Schnitker (2012) and Schnitker et al. (2019), patience has been introduced as one of the factors affecting hedonistic and virtue-oriented well-being, and its training predicts changes in positive emotions and reduces depression and anxiety. Also, Ibn-Rasoul Sanati, Hossein-sabet, and Motamedi (2017) showed in their research results that patience directly has consequences such as self-control and kindness, each of which helps to reduce negative emotions or increase positive emotions and it can have a powerful effect on regulating emotions.
The results of the research show the positive role of moral intelligence and its components in improving the psychological well-being, and mental and physical health of people who have this characteristic (Pourseyed & Pourseyed, 2021; Hejazi & Ghanizadeh, 2017; Pourjamshidi & Beheshti Rad, 2014; Sotoudeh et al., 2015; Brown, 2013). It can be said that people who have higher moral intelligence benefit from the cognitive regulation of positive emotions and the reduction of cognitive errors (Naimi and Golshani, 2018; Mosalman, Zemestani & Mahdavi, 2017). In this regard, Mirghazanfari & Izadi (2021) and Kapri and Rani (2014) also found in their research that people with high moral intelligence have a greater ability to tolerate stress, worry, and anxiety and the possibility of maladaptive behaviors in response to stressful situations. According to the results obtained from various studies, moral intelligence and its dimensions cause responsibility (Rahimi, Madani & Mohammadian, 2014), increasing commitment, stability, and stability of people's performance (Lambert & Dollahite, 2008). Yip & Tse (2009) in research found that the forgiveness factor of moral intelligence is significantly related to interpersonal and social compatibility, psychological well-being, and reduction of depression. Also, Gol Mohammadian (2015) emphasized the role of moral intelligence in the dimensions of women's family functioning (problem-solving, roles, communication, emotional companionship, emotional intercourse, and behavior control).
3- Methodology
The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population included about 300 mothers with children with autism spectrum disorder who were members of the male-managed and self-organized group "Negar's Autism Experimental Question and Answer; Ilya's Mother" in Tehran, of which 169 people were selected by convenience sampling method. To measure the research variables, the Hossein-Sabet Patience Measurement Scale (PS), Lenick and Kiel Moral Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ), and Action Control Scale-Revised (ACS-R) were used in the Internet implementation method. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and descriptive statistical techniques, Pearson correlation analysis, and multivariable regression analysis.
 
 
4- Results
Table 1. Simple correlation coefficient between action control components with patience and moral intelligence




 


Statistical index


Predictor variable


Criterion variable






Sig.


correlation coefficient


 


 




0/000


0/742


patience


disengagement_preoccupation




0/000


0/631


moral intelligence




0/000


0/532


patience


initiative_hesitation




0/000


0/712


moral intelligence




0/000


0/684


patience


 
persistency_volatility




0/000


0/537


moral intelligence




Table 2. Variance analysis of action control prediction and its components based on patience and moral intelligence




Adjusted R Square


R²


Sig.


F


Mean Square


df


Sum of Squares


Source of changes


Title




0/518


0/524


0/000


91/257


280/192


2


384/560


Regression


Disengagement_preoccupation based on patience and moral intelligence




 


 


 


 


2/107


166


349/807


Residual




 


 


 


 


 


168


734/367


Total




0/328


0/336


0/000


41/966


111/791


2


223/581


Regression


Initiative_hesitation based on patience and moral intelligence




 


 


 


 


2/664


166


442/194


Residual




 


 


 


 


 


168


665/775


Total




0/352


0/352


0/000


74/737


74/737


2


149/474


Regression


Persistency_volatility based on patience and moral intelligence




 


 


 


 


1/606


166


226/586


Residual




 


 


 


 


 


168


416/059


Total




Table 3. Estimating the prediction coefficients of action control components based on patience and moral intelligence



 

 


standardized coefficients


Unstandardized coefficients


 


Title






Sig.


t


Beta


Std. Error


B

 
 



0/000


8/732


-


0/675


5/897


Constant


Disengagement_preoccupation based on patience and moral intelligence




0/000


6/605


0/564


0/011


0/072


patience




0/025


2/257


0/193


0/007


0/016


moral intelligence




0/000


4/901


-


0/759


3/722


Constant


Initiative_hesitation based on patience and moral intelligence




0/000


3/638


0/367


0/012


0/044


patience




0/015




0/000


2/447


0/247


0/008


0/020


moral intelligence




0/000


6/774


-


0/590


3/994


Constant


Persistency_volatility based on patience and moral intelligence




0/008


4/582


0/453


0/009


0/043


patience




1/764


0/175


0/006


0/011


moral intelligence




5- Discussion & Conclusion
In general, with the investigations carried out in the field of problems of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, we found that this group of mothers are under pressure and tension due to the constant care of these children; in such a way that compared to the parents of normal children, they experience more dysfunctional attitudes, spontaneous thoughts and negative emotions. This is even though some individual characteristics can help people cope with such issues. In this regard, the results of the present study showed that patience and moral intelligence are among the concepts that have action orientation components in increasing disengagement, initiative and persistency, which means producing positive emotions and reducing negative emotions related to unpleasant events and starting activities and they can protect mothers of children with this disorder against static orientation. Therefore, the findings indicate the role of patience and moral intelligence in increasing action orientation and reducing state orientation in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.