مطالب

The mind-body problem is one of the most fundamental and complex issues in the philosophy of mind, addressing the relationship between mental states and brain processes. John Searle, the contemporary American philosopher, has attempted to offer a distinctive response to this problem through a theory known as biological naturalism. In his view, mental phenomena such as consciousness are not only the result of biological processes in the brain, but also constitute higher-level features of those processes. By distinguishing between causal reductionism and the ontological irreducibility of consciousness, Searle seeks to establish a middle path between reductive physicalism and dualism. Key concepts in his view—including intentionality, mental causation, and emergent properties—play a central role in explaining the workings of the human mind. Nevertheless, his theory has faced significant criticism from philosophers such as Dennett, Nagel, and Chalmers, some of whom consider Searle’s biological naturalism to be a new form of property dualism. This paper analyzes the theoretical foundations and structure of biological naturalism, aiming to assess its explanatory power in addressing the mind-body problem and to clarify its relation to competing philosophical approaches.

Energy, besides other factors, production is considered the main factor in growth and economic development, and economics can play beneficial roles in the performance of different sectors. Hence, the country authorities should try to predict anything more precisely regarding energy consumption in the proper planning and guidance of consumption to control the way they desire energy demand and supply parameters. This paper aims to evaluate the hybrid model of artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms in forecasting demand energy to predict energy consumption in the country. A case study is energy consumption in Iran's transportation sector. So, for this review, we use the annual data on energy consumption of transport as a variable output of forecast models and data from the entire country's annual population, GDP, and the number of vehicles as the input variables. Evaluation results showed that themodel ofArtificial hybrid model of Neural Networks (ANN) and Genetic Algorithm (GA), campared toother models, has the highest accuracy in predicting energy demand in the transportation sector

Objectives: This research aims to investigate the relationship between family firms and working capital management. Working capital management involves the management of current assets and liabilities to achieve a balance that maximizes shareholder returns on investments. Methodology/Design/Approach: This applied study employs a causal correlational methodology. The statistical population consists of all firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Using systematic elimination sampling, 136 firms were selected as the research sample and analyzed over a ten-year period from 2014 to 2023. Findings: The results indicate an inverse relationship between family firms and the cash conversion cycle. Additionally, there is a direct relationship between family firms and the period for collecting receivables. Furthermore, a direct relationship exists between family firms and the inventory turnover period, while an inverse relationship is observed between family firms and the period for debt repayment. Innovation: This research contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into how family ownership influences working capital management practices. It highlights the unique dynamics of family firms in managing their operating cycles compared to non-family firms, offering practical implications for stakeholders in understanding how ownership structure can affect financial performance.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy and resilience-based play therapy on anxiety, executive functioning behaviors, and emotional expression in children aged 6 to 8 years undergoing dental treatment. Methods: The current research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design, including a control group and a two-month follow-up period. All children aged 6 to 8 visiting specialty dental clinics in Isfahan during the first six months of 2021 constituted the research population. Forty-five children were selected using purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to three equal groups of fifteen. Data collection was carried out using the Revised Children's Anxiety Scale - Short Form (Ahlen et al., 2018), the Emotion Expression Questionnaire - Child Form (Penza-Clyve & Zeman, 2002), and the Executive Functioning Questionnaire (Gioia et al., 2000). Cognitive-behavioral play therapy sessions were conducted based on the protocol by Hall, Kaduson, and Schaefer (2002), and resilience-based play therapy sessions followed the protocol by Nikneshan et al. (2019), each lasting for eight weekly sessions of 60 minutes. However, the control group did not receive these interventions. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and mixed ANOVA with SPSS software, version 26. Findings: Results indicated that the mean scores of executive functioning behaviors and their dimensions significantly improved in the experimental groups at post-test compared to the control group, and these improvements remained stable at follow-up (p < 0.05). Moreover, therapeutic interventions (both cognitive-behavioral and resilience-based play therapy) significantly improved scores on anxiety and emotional expressiveness compared to the control group. Additionally, post hoc Bonferroni tests showed that cognitive-behavioral play therapy was more effective than resilience-based play therapy in reducing anxiety scores and increasing skills in emotional expression and executive functioning in children undergoing dental treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings further clarify the role of play therapy in children undergoing dental treatment and highlight the necessity of using therapeutic approaches derived from the cognitive-behavioral model to modulate symptoms in these children.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of movement-based psychotherapy on couple intimacy. Method: The research employed a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines. The statistical population consisted of all couples who visited counseling centers in Bojnord City in 2021. From this population, three couples who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive criterion-based sampling. Measurements were conducted using the validated Couple Intimacy Needs Questionnaire by Bagarozzi (2012). Participants were assessed over three baseline sessions, 12 intervention sessions, and three follow-up sessions. Data analysis was performed using visual analysis at both within-case and between-case levels. Findings: Results indicated an increase in intimacy for all participants. The graph lines demonstrated an upward trend in data changes during the intervention phase, with a high percentage of Nonoverlapping Data (PND) and a low percentage of Overlapping Data (POD). Additionally, in the follow-up phase, intimacy continued to increase for four individuals (two couples) and remained within the intervention range for two individuals (one couple), indicating that movement-based psychotherapy was effective in enhancing intimacy between couples. Conclusion: The results showed that movement-based psychotherapy, by utilizing the body as a tool to access the unconscious and applying techniques such as mirroring and fostering an understanding of each individual’s needs and emotions in their partner, increased awareness and recognition of personal and partner needs, thereby enhancing intimacy between couples. It is recommended that this method be implemented in therapeutic and counseling centers to enrich marital relationships.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy on self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy in couples experiencing marital conflict. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up, using a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with marital conflict in Tehran in 2023. Fourteen couples experiencing marital conflict were selected using a non-random, purposive sampling method, and then, through random assignment, 7 couples were assigned to the experimental group and 7 couples to the control group. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of paradoxical couple therapy, and after dropouts, 6 participants successfully completed the therapy. The control group received no intervention. To match the number of participants, couples were randomly excluded from the control group to account for dropouts in the experimental group. The study utilized questionnaires measuring self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and SPSS 22 software. Findings: The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups. Paradoxical couple therapy significantly improved self-differentiation (F = 4.93, p = 0.035) and marital intimacy (F = 41.16, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, interventions based on the paradoxical approach can effectively improve self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy.

In this study, the authors, using a descriptive-analytical method and library research, aim to answer the research question: "What is the position of election expense transparency in the electoral policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran?" According to the research findings, before the enactment of the law on transparency in funding election campaigns and activities in 2019, there was no codified mechanism for transparency in election expenses. Therefore, to achieve this transparency, it was necessary to continue entrusting the issue of general and po-litical qualifications, which the Guardian Council is very sensitive about, to this council. However, regarding the oversight of election expenses, those approved by the Guardian Coun-cil should be entrusted to an independent electoral commission, and financial oversight of the elections should be pursued through the formation of a commission or council for monitoring election expenses. After the approval of this law, the expenses incurred by interest groups within the framework of legal resources such as the candidate's personal assets, contributions from parties and political groups, donations from Iranian individuals, and public resources and facilities can be monitored and reviewed through legal channels.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of problem-solving skills training based on the theories of Tolman and Bandura on the problem-solving styles of middle school students. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental. The population consisted of all female first-year middle school students in Hamadan, with a sample size of 75 students (three groups of 25), selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The D'Zurilla, Nezu, and Maydeu-Olivares problem-solving questionnaire (2000) was used for data collection. Problem-solving training sessions based on Tolman's theory followed a protocol provided by Tolman (1932), and those based on Bandura's theory followed a protocol by Bandura (1999), conducted over eight 60-minute weekly sessions for two months. Data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and the Scheffé post hoc test. Findings: There were differences in the impact of training based on these theories on students' problem-solving styles (P < .01). Training based on Tolman's theory was more effective in reducing the use of negative and impulsive problem-solving styles compared to training based on Bandura's theory (P < .01). Conclusion: These trainings increased the use of positive and logical orientation styles and decreased the use of negative, avoidant, and impulsive styles among students.