International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences

Major depressive disorder is one of the most serious and disabling psychiatric disorders. It can be followed by medical problems, impaired individual functioning, reduced quality of life and mortality (1-3). The prevalence varies among different countries. This discrepancy depends on genetics, environmental parameters, racial factors, cultural differences in perceiving diagnostic parameters, psychometric characteristics of diagnostic tools and sampling protocol (3). Major depressive episode may happen during major depressive disorder (unipolar depression) and also in bipolar disorder type I and II patients.

Introduction: Aggression is overt, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other unpleasantness upon another individual. The present study was conducted with the purpose of studying the effectiveness of play therapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy on physical, relational and verbal aggression of preschool children. Method: The research type was experimental with pre-posttest design. Population was all children who were accepted in a counseling center Kermanshah City. 20 mothers of children were assessed with Shahin aggression test and then assigned into 2 groups (experimental and control) randomly. 2 groups were diagnosed with aggression and also matching conducted based on inclusion-exclusion criteria. 8 sessions of cognitive behavior play therapy were conducted for experimental group. The data were analyzed through multiple analysis of covariance using the SPSS-22 statistical software. Results: Research findings showed that there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups in physical aggression. Moreover, the findings indicated that cognitive behavior paly therapy is effective on reducing relational and verbal aggression in preschool children. Conclusion: The application of cognitive behavior play therapy is effective on reducing physical, relational and verbal aggression in these children. It could be concluded that Considering the capabilities of CBT, its application in children's behavioral problems, including aggression, is effective. Declaration of Interest: None.

Introduction: Morality and moral behavior are one of the main themes of psychology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between reinforcement sensitivity و moral identity, moral cognition and utilitarianism in personal and impersonal moral judgments. Method: Statistical population consisted of 303 students (only males) were randomly selected through multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Results: Results showed a strong relationship between Reinforcement Sensitivity dimensions with moral identity, moral cognition and personal and impersonal moral judgment. The series of multiple regression analyses showed that Fight-Flight-Freeze systems (FFFS) were strongly able to predict moral dimensions of cognition, identity and moral judgment. FFFS were strong predictors in all of moral dimensions. Conclusion: The results expand the understanding of the moral dimensions and indicate how domains of reinforcement sensitivity could explain the moral identity, moral cognition and utilitarianism in moral judgments. Declaration of Interest: None.

Introduction: Due to the painful and long-term treatments of cancer, children with cancer may suffer from severe psychological problems such as anxiety and decreased level of pain tolerance. Accordingly, psychological treatments such as play therapy can be helpful in this regard. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on pain tolerance and trait-state anxiety in children with cancer in Isfahan. Method: The statistical population of this study was all children aged 9 to 12 years old who were referred to specialized cancer clinic of Isfahan in 2016. 30 of them were selected through purposeful sampling and randomly assigned into two groups of experimental and control. The results were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: The results of data analysis indicated that cognitive-behavioral therapy games resulted in increased pain tolerance and decreased trait anxiety in children with cancer (p <0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, cognitive-behavioral play therapy can be used as a complementary therapy to relieve anxiety and increase pain tolerance in these children. Declaration of Interest: None.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the personality characteristics and their effects on risk aversion by the intermediary role of affect. The study suggests that positive and negative affect in individuals can play an intermediary role in the relationship between personality characteristics,risk aversion, and decision making. Methods: 265 undergraduate and postgraduate students completed the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS. Data were analyzed using structural equations modeling. Results: Findings showed that the increase in extroversion characteristic was negatively and significantly associated with risk aversion; it was also found out that there was a negative and significant relationship between openness to experience and risk aversion. Furthermore, the relationship between adaptability and risk aversion in the presence of affect as the intermediary factor was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Risk aversion is closely interlaced and undeniably associated with the personality and mentality of the individuals. But, it has to be noted that the sciences related to the intended subjects are substantially new in this regard hence many of the intended topic’s angles are recognized and are worthy of discussion and study. Declaration of Interest: None.

Introduction: The goal of the present study was to investigate adolescents’ tendency to engage in high-risk behaviors based on traumatic life experiences and adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Method: A descriptive/correlational design was used. The participants included 220 adolescents (154 girls and 66 boys) who were selected among high-school students in Shiraz, using a convenience sampling method. The Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC), the Iranian Adolescents Risk-taking Scale (IARS), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (CERQ) were used collect data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. Results: According to the results, among traumatic experiences, only emotional abuse (P<0. 001), and among maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, only rumination (P<0. 001) had a significant effect on high-risk behaviors. In addition, no significant relationship was found between adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and tendency to engage in high-risk behaviors. Conclusion: The results suggest that providing training on emotion regulation can help students select adaptive emotion regulation strategies in coping with high-risk situations. Declaration of Interest: None.

Introduction: Responsibility can be affected by personality and life conditions. The present study was conducted to investigate the moderating role of lifestyle on maladaptive schemas and responsibility among Iranian male teachers. Method: The study population consisted of all male teachers at primary schools in the city of Manneh, North Khorasan, Iran (n=250), 250 teachers who were selected using the census sampling method were participated in this study. The data collection tools comprised responsibility, early maladaptive schemas, and lifestyle questionnaires. For data analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression were employed. Results: The results showed a significant correlation between responsibility and early maladaptive schemas (r=-0.38, p<0.001) and lifestyle (r=0.42, p<0.001). Also, the results of moderation regression reflected that lifestyle modifies the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and responsibility. Conclusion: Results indicated that high scores in maladaptive schemas were associated with low responsibility scores in case of an unhealthy lifestyle, whereas high maladaptive schemas scores were associated with high responsibility scores in cases with a healthy.Declaration of Interest: None.