Journal of Cognition, Behavior, Learning

Due to the widespread use of digital technologies and its impact on social relationships, the phenomenon of phubbing has been recognized as a psychological problem in society. The present study compared the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on the executive functions of students with phubbing behavior. This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up design. The statistical population included all undergraduate students at Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch, in the academic year 1403-1404, of which 45 were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups (15 people in each group). The experimental groups underwent 10-session therapeutic interventions based on acceptance and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Executive functions questionnaires (Nejati, 2013) were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test using SPSS 26 software. The results showed that both treatment methods had a significant effect on improving executive functions (F = 551.571). On the other hand, the results of the post hoc test showed that both acceptance and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy had a significant effect on improving executive functions compared to the control group, although this effect was greater for cognitive-behavioral therapy. In the subscales, it was also found that both treatment methods were more effective than the control group, especially in the follow-up phase. Cognitive-behavioral therapy performed better than acceptance and commitment therapy in the subscales of working memory, selective attention, planning, and response inhibition, while acceptance and commitment therapy performed better in the decision-making subscale. According to the results obtained, it is suggested that acceptance and commitment-based and cognitive-behavioral therapies be used as effective interventions to improve students' executive functions.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the family on the formation of the emotional dimension of students' social identity from the perspective of upper elementary school teachers (grades 4, 5, and 6) during the 2022–2023 academic year. The research adopted a qualitative approach, with an applied objective and a descriptive nature. Purposeful sampling was conducted based on the principle of theoretical saturation, and 30 upper-elementary school teachers from the city of Saveh were selected as participants. Data were collected using an open-ended, researcher-made questionnaire and were analyzed manually and using MAXQDA 10 software. Two overarching concepts, 13 categories, and 27 subcategories were identified from the data. Analysis of the data and participants’ perspectives revealed that teachers believe the family influences the emotional dimension of social identity formation in two ways: consciously (providing emotional support to children, preparing them for social participation, involving them in decision-making, recommending the Ahl al-Bayt as role models, gamifying the practice of manners and ethics, encouraging reflection on ethical and social issues, and attending to physiological needs) and unconsciously (family members’ relationships, the family’s role-modeling function, the living environment, economic management, peer groups, and media). According to upper-elementary school teachers, the unconscious influence of the family has a more significant impact on the development of the emotional dimension of adolescents’ social identity. The findings of this study can be utilized by scholars, students, and stakeholders in the fields of family studies, child development, and education.

The aim of the present study was to identify anxious thoughts among students studying at Ayatollah Kamalvand Farhangian University in Khorramabad. The statistical population included all students of Ayatollah Kamalvand Farhangian University in Khorramabad, from which a sample of 17 participants was selected using purposive sampling and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. The data extracted from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using coding and the identification of main and sub-themes. The findings revealed that several factors contribute to the increase in anxious thoughts among student teachers: the educational staff, including the manner of interaction and behavior of professors; the individual's role, including personal habits and psychological reasons; distressing and repetitive daily thoughts, such as illness of close ones, family-related issues, and student procrastination; emotions and concerns about the future, including failure to achieve future goals and risks to personal health; the influence of others, such as others’ judgments, opinions, and the role of friends; student dormitory issues, including dormitory conditions, environment, and roommate dynamics; and issues related to university courses, such as the characteristics of the courses and the role of examinations. The findings of this study may serve as a basis for reform programs at Farhangian University aimed at alleviating students' anxious thoughts.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a 12-week balance training program on anxiety, depression, quality of life, and balance in elderly individuals with Parkinson’s disease. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design involving experimental and control groups. The experimental group, in addition to receiving pharmacological treatment, participated in balance training sessions three times a week for 12 weeks. Data were collected using the Berg Balance Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ) for assessing quality of life. The results indicated that balance training had a significant effect on reducing depression, and improving quality of life and balance in the patients. The mean depression scores in the experimental group decreased, and their quality of life improved. Furthermore, the balance scores of the experimental group improved in comparison to the control group. This study suggests that balance training can serve as an effective intervention for managing Parkinson’s disease by reducing physical and psychological symptoms and enhancing patients’ quality of life.

The present study aimed to predict entrepreneurial intention based on job self-efficacy, considering the mediating role of spiritual intelligence among upper secondary school students. In terms of purpose, the research was applied; regarding data type, it was quantitative; and in terms of design (nature), it was descriptive-analytical with a correlational approach. The statistical population included all upper secondary school students in Qom city during the 2023–2024 academic year. A sample of 500 respondents was selected using the minimum sample size calculation in structural equation modeling and a multistage cluster random sampling method. Data collection utilized standardized questionnaires: the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire by Liñán and Chen (2009), the Job Self-Efficacy Scale by Riggs and Knight (1994), and the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24) by King (2008). To assess validity, content validity (Lawshe's method) and construct validity, including convergent validity (AVE > 0.5) and discriminant validity (MSV < AVE, ASV < AVE, HTMT < 0.85), were employed. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, and McDonald's omega coefficients (α, CR, ω > 0.7). Findings indicated that the research instruments possessed acceptable validity and reliability. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling. The results demonstrated that the direct effect of job self-efficacy (β = 0.64, p < 0.001) on entrepreneurial intention was significant. Additionally, spiritual intelligence played a significant mediating role in the relationship between job self-efficacy (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial intention. The research model exhibited a good fit (RMSEA = 0.03, SRMR = 0.05, p > 0.05), explaining 73% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention. Based on these findings, it is recommended to utilize the results of this study to enhance entrepreneurial intention among upper secondary school students. Furthermore, the outcomes can assist educational policymakers in designing comprehensive and effective programs to foster entrepreneurship in the younger generation.

This study aimed to design and validate a multi-skill school model with a strategic agility approach in lower secondary education. A qualitative methodology based on grounded theory using Strauss and Corbin's (1998) systematic approach was applied. The design phase involved 19 experts selected via snowball sampling from university faculty and educational planners. For the validation phase, 22 experienced school principals and teachers from Golestan Province were chosen through purposive sampling. The Delphi method was employed in three rounds, and data analysis was performed through open, axial, and selective coding using SPSS software. Instrument reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84) and content validity were confirmed by expert review. The proposed model includes 11 core categories and 25 subcategories organized into six main dimensions of the paradigmatic model: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, central phenomenon, strategies, and outcomes. Key components included the need to develop agile and multi-skilled students, use of educational technologies, and improvement of academic and professional performance. The validation results confirmed the relevance and importance of the identified components based on expert consensus. The strategic agility-based multi-skill school model promotes students’ multiple competencies, self-directed learning, adaptability to change, and enhanced academic and career outcomes. This model can serve as a valuable framework for educational reform in secondary schools and is recommended for integration into national education strategies.

This study aimed to examine the effect of artificial intelligence-based educational applications on the smartization of second-grade elementary school students. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group was applied. Thirty second-grade students from District 4 of Tehran were selected using cluster sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). The research tool was a 25-item Learning Quality Assessment Questionnaire for smart learning. The experimental group participated in 15 sessions using AI-based educational apps, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), normality tests, and homogeneity of variance tests. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in overall smartization scores among the experimental group (p < 0.01). Substantial improvements were also noted in all components: attitudes and perceptions (90%), knowledge acquisition and integration (94%), knowledge expansion and modification (93%), meaningful use of knowledge (91%), and mental habits (89%). The findings demonstrate that AI-based educational applications significantly enhance multi-dimensional smart learning in elementary students. This underscores the importance of integrating advanced technologies into primary education curricula.

The aim of the present study was to determine the structural model of predicting suicidal thoughts in adolescents based on defense mechanisms with the mediating role of emotional and interpersonal difficulties. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design, and the statistical population consisted of all adolescents in Tehran during the second semester of the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 443 individuals were selected through convenience sampling. Research instruments included the Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (Andrews, Singh, & Bond, 1993), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-47 (Pilkonis, Kim, Proietti, & Barkham, 1996), and the Suicidal Cognitions Scale (Rudd et al., 2010). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. In this study, the indirect path coefficient between mature defense mechanisms and suicidal thoughts (β = -0.339, p = .01), and between immature defense mechanisms and suicidal thoughts (β = 0.255, p = .01), was statistically significant at the .01 level. Therefore, suicidal thoughts in adolescents can be predicted based on defense mechanisms, considering the mediating role of emotional and interpersonal difficulties.