Cognitive Psychology Journal

Comparison of the effectiveness of schema therapy and transdiagnostic therapy on cognitive emotion regulation in adolescent boys with obsessive-compulsive disorder

afsaneh khajevand khoshli

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Transdiagnostic Treatment on cognitive emotion regulation among adolescent boys with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest, control group, and three-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of 14- to 16-year-old adolescent boys diagnosed with OCD who were referred to psychological counseling centers and clinics (Rasta and Bavar) in Sari, Iran, during 2024–2025. From this population, 45 participants were selected using purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 participants each. Data were collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) developed by Garnefski et al. (2006) and the Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) developed by Goodman et al. (1989). The first experimental group received Young’s Schema Therapy protocol (2006), whereas the second experimental group underwent Barlow et al.’s Unified Transdiagnostic Treatment protocol (2011). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). The findings indicated a significant difference between the Schema Therapy and Transdiagnostic Treatment groups in cognitive emotion regulation scores (p < .05), with Schema Therapy producing greater improvements in cognitive emotion regulation. Furthermore, the absence of significant differences between the posttest and follow-up assessments demonstrated the stability and maintenance of the treatment effects over time. Overall, the findings suggest that although both therapeutic approaches are effective in improving the psychological functioning of adolescent boys with OCD, Schema Therapy yields substantially greater improvements in cognitive emotion regulation than Transdiagnostic Treatment.

Comparing the effectiveness of mentalizing, positive thinking, and interpersonal problem solving therapies on social problem solving in adolescents at risk for anxiety

keivan kakabraee

The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of mentalization, positive thinking, and interpersonal problem-solving therapies on social problem solving in adolescents at risk of anxiety. This study was conducted with a quasi-experimental design and a pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population included all adolescents at risk of anxiety who referred to counseling and psychotherapy centers in Kermanshah in 1403. The study sample included 80 eligible volunteers (based on inclusion and exclusion criteria) who were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to four groups: mentalization therapy (20 people), positive thinking therapy (20 people), interpersonal problem-solving therapy (20 people), and control group (20 people). The research instruments included the Beck Anxiety Inventory (1988) and the Social Problem-Solving Inventory by D'Zurilla et al. (2002). The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance in SPSS version 26. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the three therapeutic interventions in terms of their effects on social problem solving in adolescents at risk of anxiety. Also, interpersonal problem-solving therapy was more effective in improving social problem solving compared to mentalization and positive therapies. Based on the results, interpersonal problem-solving therapy can be used as an effective intervention to improve the social problem-solving ability of adolescents at risk of anxiety and help improve the mental health of this group by increasing psychological adjustment and improving the way they deal with life challenges. Therefore, it is recommended to consider using this therapeutic approach in preventive programs and mental health interventions for adolescents.

The Effectiveness of Future Event Specificity Training on Reducing Hopelessness and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents with Depressive Disorder

Niloofar Mikaeili

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Future Event Specificity Training (FEST) in reducing hopelessness and suicidal ideation among adolescents with depressive disorder. This quasi‑experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group and a two‑month follow‑up. The statistical population consisted of middle and high school students in Kermanshah, Iran, during the 2023–2024 academic year who exhibited symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation. Following screening procedures and clinical interviews, 40 eligible participants were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). The experimental group received six 90‑minute sessions of Future Event Specificity Training, while the control group received no intervention. Research instruments included the Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC) and the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI). Data were analyzed using mixed‑design repeated‑measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that Future Event Specificity Training significantly reduced hopelessness and suicidal ideation in the experimental group compared with the control group, and these effects remained stable at the two‑month follow‑up. The findings suggest that this brief cognitive intervention may be useful in therapeutic and preventive programs within psychological and educational settings.

Development of the relationship model of well-being, cognitive fusion and cognitive flexibility with the mediation of self-control in adolescents

maryam Mougouee

Aim of the study was to develop a model of the relationship between wellbeing, cognitive fusion, and cognitive flexibility, with selfcontrol as a mediating variable. Research was correlational type, included 383 students selected through a multistage cluster sampling method. questionnaires were the Mindfulness Questionnaire, cognitive fusion, psychological flexibility, selfcontrol. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation& structural equation modeling

The findings indicated relationship between mental wellbeing and its dimensions, cognitive flexibility, mediated by selfcontrol. Mental wellbeing through selfcontrol is related to cognitive fusion, and selfcontrol acts as a full mediator. Emotional wellbeing has relationship with cognitive fusion, and selfcontrol plays a full mediating role between social wellbeing, psychological well-being, and cognitive fusion

In conclusion, selfcontrol plays an important role in mental wellbeing, cognitive fusion, and cognitive flexibility among adolescents. Therefore, it is possible to support adolescents’ wellbeing, cognitive fusion, and cognitive flexibility through their selfcontrol

The Mediating Role of Alexithymia in the Relationship between Metacognitive Beliefs and Social Anxiety in Female University Students

Ruhollah Haddadi

Social anxiety is one of the most prevalent psychological problems during young adulthood, particularly among university students, and may adversely affect academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and social anxiety among female university students. This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 384 female students enrolled at the Tehran West Branch of Islamic Azad University during the spring semester of 2025, who were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Short Form of the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicated that metacognitive beliefs were positively and significantly associated with both alexithymia and social anxiety. Furthermore, alexithymia was positively associated with social anxiety. The indirect effect of metacognitive beliefs on social anxiety through alexithymia was also significant, indicating the partial mediating role of alexithymia in this relationship. Overall, the findings suggest that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs contribute to increased social anxiety both directly and indirectly through greater difficulties in identifying and describing emotions. These results highlight the importance of addressing metacognitive beliefs and emotional processing deficits in the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing social anxiety among female university students.

Predicting Rumination Based on Cognitive and Cognitive-Emotional Processes: The Role of Cognitive Flexibility, Emotional Schemas, and Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy among Female University Students

samereh Asadi Majareh

The present study aimed to predict rumination based on cognitive and cognitive-emotional processes, with particular emphasis on the roles of cognitive flexibility, emotional schemas, and emotional self-efficacy among female university students. This descriptive-correlational study employed a predictive research design. The statistical population consisted of all female students at the Rasht Branch of Islamic Azad University during the second semester of the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom 400 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) developed by Dennis and Vander Wal, the Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Hosseinchari et al., and the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) developed by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings indicated a significant positive relationship between emotional schemas and rumination, whereas cognitive flexibility and emotional self-efficacy were significantly and negatively associated with rumination . Furthermore, the results of the stepwise regression analysis revealed that the components of control, guilt, perception of alternative options, simplification of emotions, blaming others, and lack of control jointly explained 61% of the variance in rumination. Among these variables, the control component, as a dimension of cognitive flexibility, emerged as the strongest predictor of rumination. Overall, the findings suggest that cognitive and cognitive-emotional processes play a fundamental role in explaining rumination, and that variables related to cognitive control, emotional processing, and emotional self-efficacy are among its most important predictors. Accordingly, enhancing cognitive flexibility, modifying maladaptive emotional schemas, and strengthening emotional self-efficacy may serve as key targets for cognitive and cognitive-behavioral interventions aimed at reducing rumination and promoting the mental health of university students.

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Perspective and Time Metaphorical Perception and Internet Addiction in University Students

Fatteme Raiisi

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness training on time perspective, time metaphorical perception, and Internet addiction. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all students of Payam Noor University- Alborz Province (Karaj branch), in 2025. In this study, 50 students from Karaj branch, were selected through convenience sampling, and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (25 people) and control group (25 people). Research tools included Zimbardo and Boyd's Time Perspective Inventory, Raiisi and the Moghadasins' Time Metaphorical Perception Questionnaire, and Young's Internet Addiction Questionnaire. The mindfulness training protocol was implemented on the experimental group in eight 90-minute sessions, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The results of mixed analysis of variance showed that mindfulness training had effects on the means of time perspective, time metaphorical perception, and Internet addiction in the experimental group during the time (P<0.01). It seems that the use of mindfulness-based educational interventions can be an effective solution for managing and viewing time and solving Internet addiction problems in university students.