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Objective: The present study aimed to predict attitudes toward marital infidelity in couples based on attachment styles and personality traits with the mediation of coping strategies (gender comparison). Methods: The research method was correlational and used structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all married women and men aged 25 to 45 in Tehran. A sample of 420 individuals, comprising 210 women and 210 men, was selected through convenience sampling. Research data were collected using the Whately Marital Infidelity Attitude Questionnaire (2006), the Collins and Read Attachment Styles Questionnaire (1994), the Cattell 16 Personality Factor Test (1973), and the Lazarus-Folkman Coping Strategies Questionnaire (1988). Relationships between variables were assessed using Pearson's correlation test, and the research model was evaluated using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling technique. The mediation role was also assessed using the bootstrapping method in Smart PLS software. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27 and Smart PLS version 3. Findings: The research findings indicated that in the female sample, risk-taking as a personality trait could predict marital infidelity (p < .05). In the male sample, the conscientiousness personality trait directly predicted marital infidelity, while insecure attachment predicted marital infidelity both directly and indirectly through the avoidant-escape coping style (p < .05). Conclusion: The results showed that insecure attachment influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. Additionally, the conscientiousness factor influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group, and the avoidance and escape strategies influence the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. The results also demonstrated that secure attachment negatively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Secure attachment negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the female group but positively impacts it in the male group. Insecure attachment positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in both the female and male groups. The conscientiousness factor positively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Moreover, sociability positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the male group, while emotional stability negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. Risk-taking negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. These results showed no relationship between insecure attachment and the tendency toward marital infidelity in women.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce. Methods: Statistical population of this study consisted of all women seeking divorce in District 4 of Tehran city in the year 2021, who were selected from counseling centers supervised by the Organization of Psychology and Welfare through convenience sampling. Next, Eidelson and Epstein’s (1982) Communication Beliefs Questionnaires were distributed for completion, and 45 individuals who scored high on these scales were selected as the sample and randomly placed into two experimental groups and one control group (each group consisting of 15 individuals). For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods (frequency indices, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance) using SPSS-24 were employed. Findings: Results indicated no significant difference between the ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs. Both groups showed improvement compared to the control group, but no significant difference was noted between the two in terms of effectiveness. Conclusion: Both ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion are effective in reducing dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce, with no significant difference in effectiveness between the two. This suggests that both therapeutic approaches can be beneficial in this context. Future research should consider broader and more diverse samples, longer follow-up periods, and comparisons to active control groups to further understand the sustained impact and efficacy of these therapies.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy on pain perception and pain catastrophizing in women with breast cancer. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 30 women with breast cancer who referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari in 2024 were studied using convenience sampling. They were then randomly assigned to two groups: the short-term intensive psychodynamic intervention group (15 participants) and the control group (15 participants) without any intervention. The short-term intensive psychodynamic intervention was implemented according to the protocol by Teska et al. (2005) over 16 weekly sessions, each lasting one and a half hours. The samples were assessed at two stages, pre-test and post-test, using the Pain Perception Questionnaire by Schaal et al. (2010) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale by Rahmati et al. (2017). Data were analyzed using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance in SPSS24 software. Findings: In the intervention group, the mean scores for pain catastrophizing were (17.20±36.60) and for pain perception were (36.33±80.80) in the pre-test and post-test stages, respectively. Post-test scores significantly decreased compared to pre-test scores in the components of pain catastrophizing and pain perception in the experimental group compared to the control group. Additionally, the results showed that intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy had a statistically significant effect on pain catastrophizing (P<0.05, F=24.41) and pain perception (P<0.05, F=56.201) after adjusting the means of the two groups based on the pre-test score. Conclusion: The results indicate the effectiveness of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy on pain catastrophizing and pain perception in women with breast cancer. Therefore, this therapy can be used alongside other medical treatment methods in hospitals and clinics dedicated to breast cancer patients to reduce the psychological needs and problems of women with this condition.

Objective: Attachment insecurities along with emotional processing difficulties, pose important risks on romantic relationships. This study aims to investigate possible associations and the interplay of alexithymia and attachment orientation on relationship quality in romantic couples. Methods: We used the actor–partner interdependence model and data from 56 heterosexual couples (N=112), who completed measures of attachment orientation, alexithymia and dyadic adjustment. Findings: Regression models indicated that both dimensions of attachment insecurity were associated with alexithymia and they consistently predicted lower relationship quality. Partner’s level of alexithymia moderated the relationship between attachment anxiety and dyadic adjustment. No significant interaction effects between attachment avoidance and alexithymia, were detected. Conclusion: The results point to the interdependent nature of emotional deficits and their effects on couple’s relationship quality. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive relationships between social anxiety and the psychological constructs of rumination, self-focused attention, and social intimacy among women. Specifically, it sought to determine how these variables influence the levels of social anxiety in a female population. Method: A cross-sectional design was utilized, with a sample size of 350 female participants determined by Morgan and Krejcie's table. Standardized measurement tools were employed, including the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) for social anxiety, the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) for rumination, the Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS) for self-focused attention, and the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS) for social intimacy. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression, conducted using SPSS version 27. Findings: Descriptive statistics showed mean scores of 45.23 (SD = 11.56) for social anxiety, 52.14 (SD = 12.75) for rumination, 30.56 (SD = 8.49) for self-focused attention, and 40.85 (SD = 9.22) for social intimacy. Pearson correlations revealed significant relationships between social anxiety and rumination (r = 0.61, p < 0.001), self-focused attention (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), and social intimacy (r = -0.49, p < 0.001). The regression model was highly significant (F = 320.77, p < 0.001), explaining 65% of the variance in social anxiety (R² = 0.65, R² adjusted = 0.64). Conclusion: The study confirmed that rumination and self-focused attention significantly predict social anxiety, with social intimacy showing a protective effect. These findings underscore the importance of addressing cognitive patterns and enhancing interpersonal relationships in interventions aimed at reducing social anxiety among women.

Objective: The current research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of implementing a cognitive-behavioral approach-based couple therapy program on parents and the reduction of internalized behavioral problems in students with autism spectrum disorder. Method: The present research design was quasi-experimental, utilizing a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The population consisted of all parents with autistic sons aged 10 to 15 years in the city of Mashhad, from which 56 eligible parents (couples) were selected through convenience sampling and placed into two groups: experimental and control (each group comprising 28 parents). The experimental group underwent twelve 90-minute sessions of couple therapy with a cognitive-behavioral approach by Dattilio (2005; 2009), while the control group was on a waitlist. Both groups responded to the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist at three stages. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS.22 software. Findings: The results indicated that the implementation of couple therapy with a cognitive-behavioral approach on parents significantly reduced the internalized behavioral problems (F=29.48, P<0.001) of children with autism spectrum disorder. This effect was sustained at the follow-up stage. Conclusion: It can be concluded that couple therapy with a cognitive-behavioral approach was effective in reducing the internalized behavioral problems of children with autism spectrum disorder, and this approach can be utilized to decrease the psychological problems of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: This study aimed to predict self-harming behaviors based on cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional distress tolerance, with the mediating role of internalized shame in adolescents visiting harm reduction centers in Tehran. Methods: The research employed a descriptive correlational design. The statistical population included adolescents aged 14 to 18 who attended drop-in harm reduction centers in District 12 of Tehran (Shush-Harandi neighborhood) during the first four months of 2022. A total of 300 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The research tools included the Self-Injury Questionnaire (Sansone et al., 1998), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2001), the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simons & Gaher, 2005), and the Internalized Shame Scale (Cook, 1993). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and AMOS24 software. Findings: The results indicated a relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (-0.39), emotional distress tolerance (-0.41), internalized shame (0.36), and self-harming behaviors (P < 0.01). Furthermore, internalized shame mediated the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (B = 0.52) and emotional distress tolerance (B = 0.45) with self-harming behaviors in adolescents (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that since internalized shame mediates the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional distress tolerance with self-harming behaviors, focusing on factors influencing these behaviors can help reduce the risks associated with this developmental period.