Cognitive Psychology Journal

The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Reducing Perfectionism and the Cognitive Error of Thought-Action Fusion in Women with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

javanshir asadi

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on reducing perfectionism and thought-action fusion in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder with a two-month follow-up. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest-follow-up and control group. Among the women referring to Sarohana Clinic in Pasdaran district of Tehran, 30 were purposively selected and randomly assigned to two groups of 15 (cognitive-behavioral therapy and control). The research instruments included the Ahvaz Perfectionism Questionnaire, the Thought-Action Fusion Scale (TAFS), Spielberger's Overt and Covert Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Maudsley Checklist. The cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention was implemented in 8 weekly 90-minute group sessions. The post-test was conducted immediately and the follow-up was conducted two months after the end of the sessions. The data were analyzed by multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance. The findings showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly reduced perfectionism, thought-action fusion (moral dimensions, possibility for self and others), and anxiety at post-test and two-month follow-up, and these effects remained stable until the follow-up stage. The present study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used as an effective and sustainable intervention in reducing harmful cognitive variables in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Efficacy of a Combined Cognitive Training and Structural-Systemic Family Therapy Protocol in Reducing Depressive Symptoms and Enhancing Cognitive Flexibility and Inhibitory Control

Parisa Pakari

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a combined adaptive cognitive training and structural-systemic family therapy protocol in reducing depressive symptoms and improving cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. In a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up assessments and a control group, 32 adults (16 per group) diagnosed with mild-to-moderate depression were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control condition from three reputable family therapy clinics in Tehran. The experimental group received 12 sessions of standard structural-systemic family therapy plus 12 sessions of adaptive cognitive training focused on task-switching, set-shifting, response inhibition, and Stroop exercises; the control group received family therapy alone. Measures included the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and computerized Stroop Color-Word Test. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the combined intervention produced highly significant reductions in depressive symptoms and substantial improvements in cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control at post-test and two-month follow-up (p < .001), with very large effect sizes (η² ranging from 0.586 to 0.923). Improvement in inhibitory control remained fully stable at follow-up. Adding adaptive cognitive training to structural-systemic family therapy constitutes a highly effective, clinically meaningful third-generation combined protocol for treating mild-to-moderate depression that not only alleviates emotional symptoms but also directly remediates persistent cognitive deficits, thereby enhancing relapse-prevention potential. This approach is particularly recommended for collectivist cultures and systemic treatment contexts.

Structural Model Analysis of the Role of Theory of Mind and Working Memory in Predicting Adolescents’ Achievement Goal Orientation: A Cognitive-Social Approach

Hossein Bigdeli

The present study aimed to examine the structural model of adolescents’ achievement goal orientation based on theory of mind and working memory within a cognitive-social framework. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) conducted in SPSS 26 and AMOS 24, direct and indirect relationships between theory of mind, working memory (as a mediator), and the four components of achievement goal orientation (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) were investigated. In this descriptive-correlational study, 315 high school students were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001), and the Reading Span Task (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980). Results indicated that theory of mind significantly predicted all four achievement goal orientations both directly and indirectly through working memory. A significant positive relationship was also found between theory of mind and working memory. Fit indices (χ²/df = 2.31, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.06) confirmed the good fit of the proposed model. Overall, the findings highlight the critical role of socio-cognitive (theory of mind) and executive (working memory) processes in shaping adolescents’ motivational orientations and suggest that simultaneous interventions targeting both constructs may effectively promote adaptive (mastery-oriented) achievement goals and enhance academic motivation.

A Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy with and Without Physiotherapy on Psychological Well-Being and Executive Functions in Elderly Individuals with Chronic Pain Due to Osteoarthritis

Fatemeh shahabizadeh

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused and mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), combined with physiotherapy, on psychological well-being and executive functions among elderly individuals suffering from chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis. The research followed a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow-up assessments, along with a control group. The statistical population included elderly individuals over 60 years old diagnosed with chronic osteoarthritic pain, selected through purposive sampling. A total of 45 participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group. The intervention groups received compassion-focused and mindfulness-based CBT, either with or without physiotherapy. Data were collected using Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale and the Stroop Executive Function Test and analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings indicated that the interventions, particularly the combined CBT with physiotherapy, significantly improved components of psychological well-being (self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy) and executive functions. These effects remained stable at follow-up. Although improvements were observed in personal growth, environmental mastery, and purpose in life, no significant differences were found between the two intervention groups in these dimensions. Effect size analysis suggested a large clinical impact. Overall, the results support the integration of psychotherapy and physiotherapy as an effective approach to promoting mental health and cognitive functioning in elderly patients with chronic pain.

Moral Judgment in Civil Engineers: An Empirical Study of Brain Hemodynamic Activity

Mostafa Khanzadi

The aim of this study was to assess the moral development of civil engineers using Kohlberg’s moral dilemma stories alongside simultaneous recording of brain activity. Thirty right-handed male engineers with at least three years of professional experience participated in the study. Hemodynamic activity was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) across three phases: story reading, question answering, and prioritization. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Results indicated that HbO2 levels in the right DLPFC and left VLPFC during story reading were significantly higher in engineers with higher moral judgment scores (p = 0.047 and p = 0.026). In the prioritization phase, Hb levels in the right VLPFC were significantly elevated in participants with lower moral scores (p = 0.015). These findings confirm the critical role of prefrontal regions in moral judgment processing, consistent with previous research. Although NIRS offers several advantages, its limited depth of measurement is a constraint. This study provides novel neurobiological evidence aligned with moral dilemma questionnaires, representing a step forward in predicting engineers’ moral development and enabling the use of brain data for artificial intelligence–based prediction. Future research is recommended to include female engineers, left-handed individuals, and broader brain regions.

Examining the replicability of the knobe effect

َAzim Rasouli Manesh

Experimental philosophy is a growing field in cognitive science and philosophical-psychological issues. The side-effect effect (or Knobe Effect) is a well-known topic in this area. The Knobe Effect refers to the tendency of people to judge harmful side effects of an agent’s behavior as intentional, while perceiving beneficial side effects of the same behavior as unintentional. The present study aimed to re-examine the replicability of the Knobe Effect using various scenarios. Sixteen scenarios (8 harm and 8 help) were designed and administered to a total of 416 Iranian university students (exactly 26 participants per scenario). Data were analyzed using the chi-square test. The chi-square statistic was 106.87 for harm scenarios and 39.45 for help scenarios (both significant at p < 0.01). Contrary to Knobe’s original findings, the asymmetric pattern (higher intentionality attribution in harm conditions than in help conditions) was not observed in any of the scenarios. Thus, the Knobe Effect was not replicated in the present study with an Iranian sample and diverse scenarios, and its replicability was not confirmed.

Cognitive Biase in Illness Anxiety Disorder: Attentional Bias, Interpretation Bias, and Memory Bias

Javad Salehi Fadardi

Cognitive biases are influential factors in explaining illness anxiety disorder, and understanding the existing biases in this disorder can contribute to more effective treatments. This study was conducted to examine the biases of attention, interpretation, and memory in individuals with and without illness anxiety disorder. The sample consisted of 142 participants who voluntarily participated in the research from across the country. In this study, differences in information processing between the two groups were assessed using the Health Anxiety Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and computer-based tasks measuring attention bias, interpretation, and memory. The data obtained from the research were analyzed using independent t-tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the statistical software SPSS 26.The results showed that individuals with illness anxiety disorder had a greater tendency to focus on threatening cues compared to those without the disorder and interpreted ambiguous health-related information more negatively. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding positive interpretation bias. Additionally, individuals with illness anxiety recalled disease-related information more effectively. The findings indicate that individuals with illness anxiety display biases in attention, negative interpretation, and memory concerning health-related information. This research emphasizes the importance of identifying and targeting these biases in psychological treatments and suggests employing intervention methods such as cognitive bias modification to directly affect these biases due to their role in the formation and persistence of illness anxiety.

Designing a model of cognitive motivation in the financial decisions of academic entrepreneurs

mohammad babaei

The aim of the present study was to design a cognitive motivation model related to the financial decisions of university entrepreneurs at the University of Tehran. This study was conducted with a mixed exploratory approach in two stages. In the qualitative part, using content analysis of in-depth interviews and using MaxQDA software, data from interviews with 16 university entrepreneurs who were purposefully and snowball selected were analyzed. The qualitative results showed that "entrepreneurial financial decision-making motivation" was identified as the main factor and three components including "tolerance of ambiguity in financial decision-making", "financial self-efficacy" and "entrepreneurial cognitive motivation". In the quantitative part, the resulting model was tested with data from 125 entrepreneurs located in the Science and Technology Park of the University of Tehran (simple random sampling from 185 people) and using structural equations and PLS software. The results of the model analysis showed a good fit at three levels of measurement, structural and general. The GOF index was obtained as 0.643, which indicates the high explanatory power of the model.