Soheila Teymoorpur, Mahdi Akbari, Jafar Hasani,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (3-2019)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the effect of behavioral activation therapy (BA) through cognitive flexibility and emotional flexibility on the symptoms of women with major depressive disorder. This study was based on the single-subject design. The research sample consisted of five women with major depressive disorder (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety (BAI), Cognitive Flexibility (CFI) and Emotional Flexibility (EFI) at baseline and during the stage of depression. Treatment was evaluated. To analyze the data, trend, slope, and charts were used to determine the clinical significance of the percentage of recovery, percent reduction, effect size and Cohen index. The findings indicated that behavioral activation therapy significantly contributed to enhancing the cognitive flexibility and emotional flexibility of patients with major depressive disorder. In general, the results of the research indicated that the benefits of behavioral activation treatment as an effective intervention were used to increase the cognitive flexibility and emotional flexibility of women with major depressive disorder.
Ms Hadise Mirzaei, Mr Keyvan Salehi, Mr Ebrahim Khodaie, Mr Ali Moghadamzadeh, Mr Javad Hatami,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (6-2026)
Abstract
The present study aimed to systematically review research investigating the relationship between diminished motivation and impaired capacity for pleasure (anhedonia) and the cognitive biases that exacerbate it. A systematic documentary review methodology was employed. Data were collected from 29 selected studies published between 2000 and December 2024, retrieved through searches in Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords, including anhedonia, cognitive biases, affective cognitive biases, and depressive disorder. Study quality was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist, and data were analyzed via deductive thematic analysis. Findings indicated that anhedonia is primarily associated with deficits in pleasure anticipation and is directly linked to attentional, interpretative, memory, and self-referential biases. Consequently, even when individuals retain the capacity to experience pleasure, the presence of these biases disrupts decision-making processes and the effort required to pursue rewards. Furthermore, examining interaction between cognitive biases and anhedonia may inform the development of more precise cognitive–behavioral interventions and the design of evidence-based assessment tools and targeted treatments.
