Research Paper
sakineh SoltaniKouhbanani; hamid alizadeh; Janet Hashemi; Gholamreza Sarami; Sajedeh SoltaniKouhbanani
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 1-20
Abstract
The present research aims to study the effect ofcomputer-aided working memory training on executive functions and mathperformances in students with mathematics disorders. This was aquasi-experimental research. From among all the students in centers forlearning disorders, 20 female students with mathematics ...
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The present research aims to study the effect ofcomputer-aided working memory training on executive functions and mathperformances in students with mathematics disorders. This was aquasi-experimental research. From among all the students in centers forlearning disorders, 20 female students with mathematics disorder studying atthe 3rd, 4th and 5th grades of elementaryschools in the educational year 2011-2012 in Tehran were selected usingconvenience sampling method. The subjects were randomly assigned into the twocontrol and experiment groups. the Key Math Diagnostic Arithmetic Test as wellas executive functions tests (including the Tower of London Test, theContinuous Performance Test and Stroop test cards) were carried out on thesubjects. Then, the experiment group (including students with mathematicsdisorder) received 20 sessions of computer-aided working memory training in 7weeks. Afterwards, all the subjects (both experiment and control groups) wereassessed in terms of executive functions and math performances. It isnoteworthy that the control group did not receive any training. Both groupsreceived only the school trainings. One month later, the post-test wasadministrated. The results of the pre-test and post-test were analyzed usingt-test. The results showed that computer-aided working memory training had asignificant effect on executive functions and math performances of studentswith mathematics disorder, and could improve it. The findings of this researchcan be used in neurological and educational interferences
Editorial
Saeed Azami; Alireza Moqaddas; Faramarz Sohrabi
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013
Abstract
The present research aims to study and compare the extent of effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive remediation (CACR) and psycho-stimulant drugs in improvement of response inhibition and sustained attention function in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).This was an experimental, ...
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The present research aims to study and compare the extent of effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive remediation (CACR) and psycho-stimulant drugs in improvement of response inhibition and sustained attention function in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).This was an experimental, prospective research with a pre-test and post-test design, and follow-up with two experiment groups. Using convenience sampling method, 23 children with ADHD were selected. They were matched in terms of severity of disorder, and were randomly assigned into two groups of psycho-stimulant drug therapy (n= 11) and CACR (n= 12). The research instruments included the Continues Performance Test (CPT), SNAP-IV questionnaire, the short form of WISC-R and Child Syndrome Inventory (CSI-4). The data were analyzed using multivariate ANOVA & repeated measures (RM-MANOVA), mixed-design analysis of variance, and follow-up tests. The CACR had a significant and enduring effect on the subjects’ performance in response inhibition and sustained attention. Although CACR, compared to drug therapy, was more effective in improvement of response inhibition and sustained attention; the differences were not statistically significant. Generally, both treatments were effective in improving response inhibition and sustained attention. Therefore, CACR can be used as an alternative technique to the psycho-stimulant drugs in treatment of ADHD.
Editorial
Tayyebeh Yeganeh; Abbasali Hossein-Khanzadeh; Mohammadreza Zarbakhsh
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013
Abstract
Giventhe emphasis the specialists put on the necessity of mental health interventions for elementary school children as aprimary prevention, and also their focus on the treatment and development ofmental health, the present research aims to study the effectiveness of cognitiveـbehavioral social skills ...
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Giventhe emphasis the specialists put on the necessity of mental health interventions for elementary school children as aprimary prevention, and also their focus on the treatment and development ofmental health, the present research aims to study the effectiveness of cognitiveـbehavioral social skills training onreducing symptoms of students with externalizingbehavioral disorders.This was an experimental research with apre-test and post-test design, with a two-month follow-up period. Thestatistical population included all female elementary school students withexternalizing behavior disorders studying at 5th and 6thgrades in Langarud city in the educational year 2012-2013. Using multi-stagecluster sampling method, 30 subjects were selected and randomly assigned intothe two experiment and control groups. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) wasused to evaluate the rate of externalizing behavioral disorders in students.The Walker Social SkillsCurriculumwas presented in 17 sessions during two months tothe experiment group. The data were analyzed using repeatedmeasures/mixed-model ANOVA and the Bonferroni test. The results showed thatthere was a significant difference between the rate of symptoms of externalizingbehavior disorders in both control and experiment groups duringpost-test and follow-up stage. Moreover, social skill training withcognitive-behavioral approach proved to be an effective intervention inreducing the symptoms of externalizing behavior disorders
Iran Davoudi; Roqayyeh Mazare’iKaskani; Mahnaz MehrabizadehHonarmand
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 87-106
Abstract
The present research aims to compare socialskills, life satisfaction, and the locus of control in students with hearingimpairment, students with visual impairment, and normal students at middleschool and high school levels of Ahvaz city. A Sample of 129 people, including50 students with hearing impairment, ...
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The present research aims to compare socialskills, life satisfaction, and the locus of control in students with hearingimpairment, students with visual impairment, and normal students at middleschool and high school levels of Ahvaz city. A Sample of 129 people, including50 students with hearing impairment, 28 students with visual impairment, 51normal students participated in this study and filled out social skills, lifesatisfaction, and the locus of control questionnaires. This was acausal–comparative research, and multivariate analysis of variance was used totest the hypotheses. The results indicated that there was a significantdifference between the three groups (P>0.001). There was a significantdifference in the variables of social skills and locus of control, resulting inbetter social skills and higher Locus of Control in normal individuals comparedto those with hearing impairment and vision impairment. Through investigatingthe results, this finding was obtained that the difference in the social skillsof students with hearing impairment and vision impairment was significant,being in favor of the group with vision impairment As for the locus of control,when comparing the normal group and the group with hearing impairment, theresults indicated a significant difference in external locus of control infavor of group with hearing impairment, but no significant difference wasobserved in the variable of life satisfaction among the three groups. The paperdiscusses the application of these findings
ali Isazadegan; Farzaneh Mika’ili Mani; Hossein Jenabadi; Farideh Qolinejad
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 107-126
Abstract
The present research aims to study the differencesin thinking styles and emotional creativity in gifted and ordinary 1st-gradehigh school studentsin Urmia city. The research method was that ofcausal-comparative. Using multi-stage cluster sampling method, 400 subjects(including 200 gifted, 200 ordinary ...
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The present research aims to study the differencesin thinking styles and emotional creativity in gifted and ordinary 1st-gradehigh school studentsin Urmia city. The research method was that ofcausal-comparative. Using multi-stage cluster sampling method, 400 subjects(including 200 gifted, 200 ordinary ones) were selected from among the 1st-gradehigh school students in Urmia. The Thinking Styles Inventory (Sternberg, 1994)and the Emotional Creativity Inventory (Averill, 1994) were carried out onthem. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results showed that there was a significantdifference between ordinary and gifted students in their emotional creativityand thinking styles. The mean of legislative and judicial thinking styles ingifted students were higher than that of ordinary students. Moreover, the meanof executive, global, local, and conservative thinking styles in ordinarystudents were higher than that of gifted students. Generally, the resultssuggest that the interaction between thinking styles and emotional creativityis an important factor in students’ individual learning differences. Althoughthe results of this research are exploratory in nature, they have practicalimplications
Editorial
Azam Moradi; Qorban HemmatiAlamdarlou,; Amir Qamarani
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 107-126
Abstract
The present research aims to study the effect ofemployment status, marital status, education level, intensity of disability andgender on the total rate of mental health as well as physical symptoms,anxiety, social maladjustment, and depression in physically disabled persons inIsfahan city. The research ...
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The present research aims to study the effect ofemployment status, marital status, education level, intensity of disability andgender on the total rate of mental health as well as physical symptoms,anxiety, social maladjustment, and depression in physically disabled persons inIsfahan city. The research method was that of causal-comparative. Thestatistical population included all disabled people in Isfahan, from amongwhich 100 subjects were randomly selected. The 28-item General HealthQuestionnaire (GHQ-28) was used to assess the psychological status of theparticipants. The results of MANOVA showed that employment status significantlyaffected the total score of GHQ (P<0.01), physical symptoms (P<0.05), andanxiety (P<0.05). Also, marital status significantly affected the totalscore of GHQ (P<0.05) and depression (P.0.01). However, the education level,intensity of disability, and gender had no significant effect on total score ofGHQ, physical symptoms, anxiety, social maladjustment, and depression variables.The research findings suggest that physically disabled peopleshould be provided with the appropriate opportunities for marriage andemployment, so that their psychological status can be improved
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 127-146
Abstract
The present research aims to study the effect of teaching theory of mind on improvement of cooperation, self-control and assertiveness in 7- to 12-year-old autistic children in Tehran from the viewpoint of mothers. This was a quasi-experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical ...
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The present research aims to study the effect of teaching theory of mind on improvement of cooperation, self-control and assertiveness in 7- to 12-year-old autistic children in Tehran from the viewpoint of mothers. This was a quasi-experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population included all the 7- to 12-year-old autistic children in Tehran. Using convenience sampling method, 12 subjects were selected and randomly assigned into the two experiment and control groups. The research instruments were 38-item questionnaire of theory of mind and Gresham-Elliott Social Skills Rating System (1990). The data were analyzed using the methods of descriptive as well as inferential statistics (independent and paired t-test). The results showed that teaching theory of mind did not improve the extent of cooperation, self-control and assertiveness in autistic children from the viewpoint of mothers. In other words, there was no significant difference between experiment group and control group after the post-test was carried out (p>0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that teaching theory of mind cannot improve the level of cooperation, self-control and assertiveness in the 7- to 12-year-old autistic children
Volume 3, Issue 11 , March 2013, Pages 147-163
Abstract
Positive and negative parental attitude towardschildren with special needs not only cause related emotional states in thesechildren, their parents and other family members, but also can affect, bothdirectly and indirectly, the process of tracking and receiving the educational,counseling, and rehabilitation ...
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Positive and negative parental attitude towardschildren with special needs not only cause related emotional states in thesechildren, their parents and other family members, but also can affect, bothdirectly and indirectly, the process of tracking and receiving the educational,counseling, and rehabilitation services. Hence, assessment of parental attitudetowards children with special needs and also presentation of a program forimprovement of the attitude are of great importance. The present research aimsto study the validation and revision of parental attitude towards children withspecial needs. This was a survey research with a descriptive method. Thestatistical population included all the parents with children with specialneeds, who had enrolled their exceptional children in rehabilitation centersand exceptional elementary schools in the educational year 2011-2012. Usingcluster sampling method, 400 subjects were selected. The data were analyzed themethods of descriptive statistics (including mean, standard deviation, and frequencypercentile) as well as inferential methods (including Pearson’s correlation,and confirmatory factor analysis via SPSS and LISREL software). The resultsshowed that the scale of parental attitude towards children with special needswas a reliable and valid scale. Therefore, applying this scale can helpspecialists and researchers in the area of education and rehabilitation toevaluate the parental attitude towards children with special needs