cognitive flexibility

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of yoga training with emotion regulation training on students' working memory and cognitive flexibility. The research methodology was quasi-experimental designed as pretest and posttest with control and follow-up groups. Entire second-grade female high schoolers in the 2nd District of Tehran, during 2018-19 academic year, constituted study’s statistical population, of whom 54 students were chosen using cluster random sampling method, and randomly assigned into three groups. The pretest of N-back and Denis and Wenderval’s cognitive flexibility (2010) was administered for all three groups; and then the experimental groups received yoga training and emotion regulation intervention and finally posttest was implemented followed by 4-week follow-up test. Data analysis used by analysis of variance with repeated measurements exhibited that, both trainings significantly resulted in an increase in components of Different recognition and recognition time of working memory and cognitive flexibility (p≤/001). Yoga training had more effect on the component of different recognition and psychological flexibility than on emotional regulation training (p≤/001), while the impact of both two interventions had not a significant difference on the component of recognition time.

Purpose: The aim of present research was determine the modeling of self-regulation based on cognitive flexibility with mediated role of psychological hardiness in students. Methodology: The present study was descriptive, correlational type. The research population was all secondary high school students of Tehran city in academic years of 2019-20, which from them 499 students were selected by step cluster sampling method. Data were collected by self-regulation questionnaire (Bouffard & et al, 1995), cognitive flexibility inventory (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010) and psychological hardiness scale (Lang & Goulet, 2003) and analyzed by structural equation modeling method in SPSS-22 and Amos-21 software. Findings: The findings showed that the model of self-regulation based on cognitive flexibility with mediated role of psychological hardiness in students had a good fit. Also, cognitive flexibility on psychological hardiness and psychological hardiness on self-regulation had significant direct effect (P<0.001), while cognitive flexibility on self-regulation had not significant direct effect (P>0.05). In Addition, cognitive flexibility with mediated of psychological hardiness on self-regulation had significant indirect effect (P=0.009). Conclusion: Regarded to the results, school counselors and psychologists can via increasing cognitive flexibility and psychological hardiness directly and indirectly led to improve self-regulation of students.

Objective Marital infidelity is a very painful phenomenon that can lead to divorce. This study was conducted with the aim of the role of cognitive flexibility and religious coping strategies in predicting the desire for divorce of women with experience of infidelity. Methods  The research method was descriptive-correlation. The statistical population included all women with experience of infidelity and referring to Rah-e-Naw counseling center in Birjand in 2020 that 89 people were selected by convenience sampling. The instruments used were Divorce Attitude Questionnaire (DTS), Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (CFI) and Religious Coping Questionnaire (RCOPE). Pearson correlation test, multiple regression and SPSS-22 software were used to analyze the data. Results   The results of the correlation test showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between the desire for divorce with cognitive flexibility and positive religious confrontation and a positive and significant relationship between the desire for divorce and negative religious confrontation. Conclusion   Also, the results of regression analysis showed that cognitive flexibility and religious coping strategies together explain 34.8% of the variance of the desire to divorce. According to the findings, education and intervention in improving cognitive flexibility and religious coping strategies can be suggested as an effective method to reduce the desire for divorce.

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to present a model of psychological well-being based on the components of psychological capital and psychological flexibility by mediating role of mindfulness. Methodology : This study is a descriptive research and subjects are composed of 350 masters' students of psychology from Islamic Azad University in Tehran that are selected using ‘stratified random sampling proportional to size’ method. In this method, from each unit of the university, a sample was selected independently and proportional to size of that unit. The participants responded to psychological well-being questionnaire (Ryff, 1989), psychological capital questionnaire (Luthans et al, 2007), Acceptance and action Inventory (Bond et al, 2011) and Mindfulness Questionnaire (Buchheld et al, 2006). Data are analyzed using path analysis through LISERL 8.8. Finding: The results show that cognitive flexibility, hope, optimism, self-efficacy, resiliency and mindfulness directly predict psychological well-being (P<0.01), and on the other hand, cognitive flexibility, hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resiliency indirectly predict psychological well-being by mediating role of mindfulness (P<0.01). Conclusion: So a program can be developed to enhance cognitive flexibility and components of psychological capital and mindfulness, through which students’ level of psychological well-being would be improved. This study was applied in terms of objective and combined. 

Based on research evidence, parenting styles and cognitive factors in mothers may be effective in shaping and exacerbating children's social anxiety. The aim of the present study is to determine the social anxiety of schoolgirls based on parenting styles and cognitive flexibility of their mothers. For this descriptive study, a correlational design is used. The participants of the study include all students in sixth grade elementary school and their mothers in the city of Khomem in the academic year of 2019-2020. The number of participants is 200 sixth grade elementary school students selected based on convenience sampling. Liebowitz Children and Adolescents Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-CA), Baumrind Parenting Styles Scale and Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS) are employed to collect data. The statistical data are analyzed based on Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The results of multiple regression analysis reveal that parenting styles and cognitive flexibility predict 64.1% of the variance of students' social anxiety. These findings suggest that parenting styles and cognitive flexibility play a crucial role in the pathology and prevention of students' social anxiety.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of achievement anxiety in the relationship between perfectionism and cognitive flexibility in math learning in students. The study was correlational using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included senior high school female students in the academic year of 2022-2023. According to the obvious variables, allocation of 25 coefficients, and taking into account the incomplete questionnaires, 231 students were selected by convenience sampling. The instruments included Hewitt and Flett’s perfectionism (1991) questionnaire, Dennis and Vander Wal's cognitive flexibility (2010) questionnaire, and Alpert and Haber's achievement anxiety (1960) questionnaire. Also, the students’ math scores at the end of the semester were used to measure their math learning. The data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient test and structural equation modeling using SPSS18 and AMOS24 software. The results showed that perfectionism and achievement anxiety have a negative direct effect, and cognitive flexibility has a positive direct effect on math learning. Also, perfectionism and cognitive flexibility have an indirect effect on math learning through achievement anxiety. The research model was also confirmed and the result showed that the variable measurement models have a good fit and 41% of the math learning variance is explained by the research variables. The findings of this research can be beneficial for teaching and learning of students. With educational planning and helping students, their cognitive capacities and competencies can be increased and their mathematical learning can be effectively improved.

 Objective: Critical thinking is considered a vital skill for life, especially for learning among students. The current research aims to determine a causal model of the relationship between parent-child interaction and the disposition towards critical thinking, with cognitive flexibility playing an intermediary role.Method: The design of this research was descriptive-correlational, utilizing structural equation modeling. The study population included male and female middle school students from Lahijan city during the 2023-2024 academic year. A sample of 200 students was selected through convenience sampling. For data collection in this research, the Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS), The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) were used. The data were then analyzed using Pearson’s correlation test and structural equation modeling, with the help of SPSS 26 and LISREL 10.2 software.Results: The findings of the research indicated that the proposed model has a good fit. Additionally, parent-child interaction and cognitive flexibility have a direct effect on the disposition towards critical thinking (P > 0.05). Parent-child interaction has a significant and positive indirect effect on the disposition towards critical thinking through cognitive flexibility (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that parent-child interaction and cognitive flexibility can predict critical thinking skills in students. School authorities and parents should pay special attention to these variables.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance in divorced women. Methods: The study population consisted of all divorced women in Damghan City in 2020, from which 30 individuals were randomly selected and assigned to the control and experimental groups (15 individuals in each group). The Distress Tolerance Scale, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and Positive Psychotherapy Protocol were used to collect the data, and the ANCOVA test was used to analyze the data. The ANCOVA results showed that the intervention group obtained significantly higher scores in cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance than the control group (p<0.01). Results: According to the findings, cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance significantly increased in the experimental group. According to the findings of the present study, positive psychotherapy and improvement of psychological components such as psychological flexibility and distress tolerance can play an important role in improving the mental health of divorced women. Conclusion: By focusing on talents and abilities, a positive therapeutic approach can use the potential capacities of people in order to improve psychological problems to a significant extent.

This study aimed to assess the impact of a cyberbullying and victimization prevention program on the self-esteem and cognitive flexibility of adolescents in Osku City Iran. The research followed an experimental design with a pre-test and post-test approach. The study included all female junior high school students in Osku City during the academic year 2023-2024, selected through convenience sampling. Thirty students who had experienced cyberbullying and victimization were randomly assigned into two groups: an experimental group (15 students) and a control group (15 students). Data collection tools included a questionnaire on self-esteem, cognitive flexibility, and experiences of cyberbullying and victimization. The experimental group attended 10 sessions, each lasting 75 minutes, to receive training through the prevention program. Both groups took a pre-test before the sessions and a post-test after the training. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics and covariance analysis, which indicated that the cyberbullying and victimization prevention program effectively improved students' self-esteem and cognitive flexibility. With all research hypotheses confirmed, the strategies and skills taught to address cyberbullying and victimization contribute to enhancing the self-esteem and cognitive flexibility of students. It is recommended that educational administrators, particularly school counselors, organize workshops on cyberbullying and victimization prevention to improve the self-esteem and cognitive flexibility of adolescents.      

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of exposure therapy in enhancing life satisfaction and cognitive flexibility in adults with ADHD. This study employed a randomized controlled trial design, with 30 adults diagnosed with ADHD randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) receiving eight sessions of exposure therapy or a control group (n = 15) receiving no intervention. Life satisfaction and cognitive flexibility were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and five-month follow-up using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), respectively. Data analysis was conducted using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine within- and between-group differences over time, with post-hoc pairwise comparisons performed using the Bonferroni adjustment. The results indicated a significant main effect of time and group, as well as a significant interaction effect between time and group for both life satisfaction and cognitive flexibility (p < 0.01). Post-hoc analyses showed that the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in both variables from baseline to post-treatment (p < 0.001), with these gains maintained at follow-up. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes over time. The findings suggest that exposure therapy effectively enhances life satisfaction and cognitive flexibility in adults with ADHD, with long-term benefits observed at follow-up. Exposure therapy appears to be a promising intervention for improving life satisfaction and cognitive flexibility in adults with ADHD. By reducing avoidance behaviors and promoting adaptive cognitive responses, this approach may help individuals with ADHD develop greater emotional and cognitive adaptability. The sustained benefits observed at follow-up suggest that exposure therapy may provide long-lasting improvements in quality of life for this population.

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the model fit based on the relationship between parents' religious orientation and the tendency towards critical thinking and happiness with the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in female high school students. Method: This descriptive correlational study was conducted with a population of teenage girls from public high schools in the city of Chalus. A sample of 319 participants was selected using cluster random sampling. Data collection tools included the Ricketts Critical Thinking Questionnaire (2003), the Dennis and Vander Wal Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (2010), the Allport and Ross Religious Orientation Questionnaire (1967), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory (Argyle et al., 1989). Findings: Results showed a significant positive relationship between religious orientation and critical thinking tendency (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), happiness (r = 0.41, p < 0.05), and cognitive flexibility (r = 0.68, p < 0.05). There was also a significant positive relationship between cognitive flexibility and the tendency towards critical thinking (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) and happiness (r = 0.69, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Based on the results of structural equation modeling, the model based on the relationship between parents' religious orientation and the tendency towards critical thinking and happiness with the mediating role of cognitive flexibility among students is adequately fitted. The application of promoting religious duties and training in cognitive flexibility to enhance happiness and critical thinking tendency in students could be considered in experimental studies by researchers, educational planners, and counselors.

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Imago therapy on cognitive flexibility and post-traumatic growth in women affected by extramarital affairs. Methods: The research community included all women affected by extramarital affairs in the city of Isfahan (including the Nik Ovin Psychological Clinic and the Hazrat Abolfazl Charity Institute) in the spring of 2024. Accordingly, a group of women affected by extramarital affairs was randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (15 individuals) and a control group (15 individuals). The experimental group received Imago therapy sessions, while the control group received no treatment. The data were analyzed using repeated measures tests with SPSS software version 23. Findings: The findings indicated that Imago therapy was effective in enhancing psychological flexibility and its subscales, as well as post-traumatic growth and its subscales, in women affected by extramarital affairs (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The obtained results showed that Imago therapy could be utilized as an effective approach for improving women affected by extramarital affairs, playing a significant role in enhancing their quality of life.

Objective: This study aims to examine the structural model of adolescent self-control within the family context, focusing on the contributions of parenting styles, family emotional support, and cognitive flexibility, with rumination as a mediating factor. Methods and Materials: Using a correlational design, this study targeted a population of adolescents aged 12–18 years attending urban schools in Azarshahr, Iran, in 2023. A sample of 385 adolescents was selected via multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using validated instruments: the Parenting Styles Questionnaire (Darling & Toyokawa, 1997), Family Emotional Support Scale (Pierce, Sarason, & Sarason, 1991), Cognitive Flexibility Scale (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010), and Rumination Response Scale (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS software, applying structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model. Findings: The findings revealed significant direct effects of parenting styles, family emotional support, and cognitive flexibility on adolescent self-control (p < .05, effect size = .2). Rumination significantly mediated the relationships between these factors and self-control, underscoring its role within this dynamic. Conclusion: The results indicate that fostering positive parenting styles, supportive family environments, and flexible cognitive abilities can enhance adolescent self-control, with reduced rumination serving as a beneficial mediator. This model highlights the potential of family-centered approaches in promoting adolescent self-regulation.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of happiness training based on Lyubomirsky’s model in reducing negative emotions and enhancing cognitive flexibility in this population. Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design using a pretest-posttest control group format. The statistical population included mothers of children with autism who attended the "Golhaye Beheshti" Center in Qom during spring 2024. A total of 30 participants were selected through simple random sampling and assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of happiness training. The research instruments included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Cognitive Flexibility Scale developed by Dennis and Vander Wal (2009). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Findings: The results indicated that Lyubomirsky’s happiness training significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress levels while significantly increasing cognitive flexibility in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Happiness-based intervention can serve as an effective strategy for promoting the mental health of mothers of children with autism by alleviating negative emotions and strengthening their cognitive capacities. Keywords: Happiness training, depression, anxiety, stress, cognitive flexibility, mothers, autism spectrum disorder.

Aim: Social anxiety disorder is a common problem in the field of mental health, one of its characteristic features is the fear of negative and positive evaluation by others. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of cognitive flexibility and cognitive emotion regulation in predicting social anxiety of university students. Method: The research population included all female students from bachelor's degree to doctorate studying in Shahid Beheshti University, and 250 of these students responded to the online questionnaire related to the research. The method of the current research was correlation and multiple regression analysis, and in order to collect data from three cognitive flexibility questionnaires by Dennis et al. (2010), the questionnaire of cognitive emotion regulation strategies of Garnefsky and Kraaij (2006) and the Leibowitz LSAS social anxiety scale (1987) used. Results: The obtained results showed that the correlation of cognitive flexibility and cognitive emotion regulation with students' social anxiety was significant (0.05). The current study emphasizes that students who have poor emotional flexibility in social and functional situations and use only one method to solve a problem, and on the other hand, due to the high tension of that situation, have limited access to cognitive regulation of emotions. Conclusions: Finally, these factors can predict social anxiety in them. The results of this finding can be used by psychologists, counselors and other people who are in contact with students to help improve the symptoms of social anxiety in them by using treatments focused on these concepts.