Psychology of Exceptional Individuals

Abstract : The present study was conducted in order to perform the meta-analytic
study of individual and family factors that were effectiveon
attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Method:For this purpose 25studieswere collected and after entering data into CMA-2 software
and sensitivity analysis, one study which was disharmonious with other studies
was removed and finally,24 studieswere analyzed. The average effect size
(r) in the
individual factors was 0.22 and in the
family factors it was 0.14. So, according to
Cohen's criteria, the effect size of individual factors and family factors were
reported below the average.In investigating the separated effect size of
factors, the variables ofacademic performance, identity crisis,
intelligence, working memory, and behavioralmanagement
ofparents were higher than average. Due to the significance of Q
statistic based on heterogeneity in these studies, the variables of sex,population, measuring instruments, sampling method and age
were entered into the analysis as confounding variables. Results: Z
differences test, in the studies related to the individual factors, showed that
the effect size was significant for all intervening variables but in examining the
family factors, this difference was seen in the variables of sex, population, measuring instruments and sampling method. Conclusion:
Due to the obtained average effect size in the above variables, researchers and
clinicians should consider the importance of these factors in the evaluation
and treatment of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Also, researchers
should notice the role of modulators that were listed above in their future
studies

Abstract The present study was an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of
educationalcomputer games on the academic motivation in third grade elementary
school students with math learning disability. Method: For this purpose,
by implementing a quasi-experimental research, 40 students among all third
grade elementary boy schools of Khorramabad city were selected using available
sampling and were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The
research instrument was the 28-item Wolrend’s motivation questionnaire. The
construct validity of this questionnaire has been confirmed by Bagheri (2000)
using factor analysis and its reliability has been reported to be 0.78 through
Cronbach’s Alpha. The researcher administered academic motivation pretest in
both groups. In the experimental group, the teacher first presented the lesson
(four main operations) and used computer games as a complement for the concept
of education. But the teacher in the control group used the conventional method
for teaching mathematical concepts. Then, the researcher conducted educational
motivation post-test. Results: The results indicated that there was a
significant difference in academic motivation of the experimental group in
comparison with the control group (p≥ 0.001). Conclusion:
Educationalcomputer games for teaching summation, subtraction, multiplication,
and division lead to increased academic motivation in students with math
learning disability, so it is suggested that modern educational technologies,
especially computer games be used in teaching mathematical concepts.

Abstract : The aim of this study was comparing the conceptions
of learning and study habits between talented and normal students.
Method: This research was descriptive and
causal-comparative. The population included the wholetalented and normal students in Shiraz University
in the academic year of 2010-2011 among them 242 students (141talented
and 141normal) were selected through
purposeful sampling method. These students completed
Conceptions of Learning andStudy
Habits Questionnaires. The analysis
of datausing
MANOVA showed that there was no significant difference between talented
and normal students in totalconceptions of learning (p>
0.05). In spite of this, the average score of normal students in two
subscales (learning as gaining information and learning as remembering and
using information) was significantly higher than talented
students (p< 0.05). The average score of talented
students in three subscales (learning as personal change,
learning as a process that is not limited to time and space and learning as the
development of social competence) was significantly higher thannormal
students (p< 0.01). And there was no significant difference
between talented and normal students in
learning as a duty subscale (p> 0.05). Moreover the analysis of data using
MANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between talented
and normal students in study habits (p< 0.01). Also the results revealed that
in the five subscales of study habits  the score of talented students was
significantly higher than normal students (p< 0.01) and
there was no significant difference between talented and normal students in
the three subscales of memory, exams and health (p>0.05). Conclusion:
It is recommended that teaching and learning
become more practical so that the study habitsimprove

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of religiosity and resilience in predicting marital stress in the mothers of children who were suffering from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). Method:The method of the research was correlation.The population consisted of mothers who had children withADHD in the city of Tehran. The research sample consisted of 100 mothers who were selected by the available sampling method. ADHD Assessment Scale, Marital Stress Scale, Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale and Religiosity Assessment Scale were used to gather data. Data were analyzed using regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed that religiosity and resiliencewere negatively correlated with marital stress. The results of regression analysis indicated that religiosity and resilience can negatively predict marital stress. Conclusion: Based on these resultsit can be concludedthat the level ofreligiosityandresilienceareimportantpredictorsof maritalstress.So, to reduce maritalstressit is recommended to considerthe role of religiosityand resilience components.

Abstract : Studying factors associated with coping resources of mothers
of exceptional children who are exposed to stress is very important. This study
examined the role of religiosity and social support and coping styles in
mothers of exceptional children. Methods: This was a
descriptive-correlational study and its population were all mothers and
children from the city of Astara. Data were collected from 67 patients who were
selected by convenience sampling. To collect data, the Religiousness, Coping Strategies
and Social Support questionnaires were used. The collected data were analyzed through
Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Results: The results showed
that there was a relationship between religiosity and coping with stress. Also,
the relationship between social support and coping strategies was significant. Both
variables could predict coping styles of mothers who had exceptional children
as well. Conclusion:Coping with stress styles of mothers of exceptional
children can be predicted by social support and religiosity variables. So, to
reduce stress and to improve coping strategies in this population, it is
recommended that the role of religiosity and social support be considered.

Abstract : The aim of this research was to study the effectiveness of interpersonal communication skills and social problem solving training on social adjustment and academic achievement of mentally retarded female students of elementary schools in the city of Qom. Method: The method of the research was a quasi-experimental one based on the pre-post-Follow tests with a control group. The method for collecting data wasrandom sampling. In order to select samples, at first 2 schools from the special schools were randomly selected, then 30 students who had necessary criteria, were put in control and experimental groups. The tools used in this research were Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV, Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Revised), and UNISEF program for communication skills and social problem solving training. In order to analyze data, multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures was used. Results: The results showed significant differences on social adjustment (F=8.46, p<0.05) and academic achievement between the experimental and the control groups (F=13.48, p<0.05). Teaching these skills reduced inappropriate behaviors of educable mentally retarded students and increased their social adjustment in all subscales of Social Adjustment Scale Vineland (communication skills and social skills), it also improved their academic performance. Conclusion: The findings showed considerable impact of improving life skills. Communication skills training and social problem solving can be helpful in improving students’ social adjustment and their academic achievement.

Abstract The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of
social-comparative feedback on the performance of power generation task in
educable intellectual disability girls. Method: The present research is
an experimental study with pre-test and post-test with experimental and control
groups. Among all elementary special schools in Shiraz
city, 46 mentally retarded girl students were selected through purposeful
sampling. The participants were divided into experimental and control groups
(22 inthe experimental group and 24 in the control group). Results: Analysis of covariance showed that the
experimental group achieved significantly higher scores than the control group.
The results of this study provide evidence for the importance of motivational
feedback.Conclusion: Since the social-comparative feedback had a special
effect on the performance of power generation task in mentally retarded
individuals, it is recommended that this method be used as an effective
training strategy in the field of special education

Abstract The present study was designedfor investigate the effect of role playing on social skills in students with mild intellectual disability. This was a quasi-experimental research with pre- post test. 14 student 14-16 years old with mild intellectual disability were selected using convenience sampling method. The subjects were randomly assigned into two control and experimental groups. Research instrument was Gresham and Elliott Social Skills Rating system (1990). Parents and teachers completed questionnaire of social skills for all subjects. The experimental group participated in a training program during 20 sessions. In this program 10 social skills were taught through role playing method. After this stage, social skills questionnaires were completed again for all subjects (control and experimental group). Data obtained from the pre- test and post -test were analyzed using Covariance Analysis. Results showed that role playing training had not significant effect on social skills in student with mild intellectual disability. Findings can be used to develop social skills training program for children with mild intellectual disability.

Abstract Behavioral problems of
mentally retarded childrenare one of the most important human issues
and the most complex and difficult problems of children and young adults which
remain to the age of adulthood.  On the
other hand, studies of behavioral problems are primarily done within
statistical classical models; while the relationship between psychological
variables is not so accurate. So the present paper examines the role of
self-efficacy, language development,
and social skills on behavior problems of mentally
retarded children as reported by teachers using flexible procedures. For so doing, all the mentally retarded boy students of East Azerbaijan in the academic year 1391-92
formed the statistical population of this research;
from among whom 28 students were selected by cluster sampling and the pertinent teacher filled four questionnaires for each student (General
Self-Efficacy of Sheerer & et al.; Language Development of Newcamber & Hamyl; Social Skills of Gresham & Elliot; and Behavioral
Problems of Rutter).  In this study, the content validity was confirmed by the experts in the field using Delphi method, and also the rate of Chronbach alpha for all the variables was reported to be above 85% which suggests a good reliability for the instruments.  The results of fuzzy linear regression analysis
showed that language development has almost no role in the behavioral problems of the students; but
the general self-efficacy
and social skills reduce
behavioral problems of
mentally retarded students. Findings of
this research might be helpful in solving the behavioral problems of children with mental
retardation.