Faculty of Education - Research Publications
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ItemIntolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12: Psychometric Properties of This Construct Among Iranian Undergraduate Students (Retracted Article)(FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2022-06-08)BACKGROUND: Uncertainty intolerance (IU), the tendency to think or react negatively toward uncertain events may have implication on individuals' mental health and psychological wellbeing. The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IU-12) is commonly used across the globe to measure IU, however, its' psychometric properties are yet to be evaluated in Iran with a Persian-speaking population. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to translate and validate the IU-12 among Iranian undergraduate students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The multi-stage cluster random sampling was employed to recruit 410 Iranian undergraduate students (260 females) from the Azad University to complete the IU-12, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-2, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in a cross-sectional design. In this study, face validity, content validity, construct validity, and concurrent validity were measured and Construct Reliability (CR) and Cronbach's alpha were used to measure reliability. RESULTS: The impact score of the translated IU-12 indicated acceptable face validity (value of impact score was greater than 1.5). The value of Content Validity Index (CVI) and the value of Content Validity Ratio (CVR) were above 0.7 and 0.78, respectively. The values of CVI and CVR indicated the items had acceptable content validity and were deemed essential to the measure. The measurement model analysis showed the measure with two subscales had good fit indices (CMIN/df = 2.75, p < 0.01, RMSEA = 0.07, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.94). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated the scale was composed of the two subscales found in the English-version of the scale (prospective anxiety and inhibitory anxiety), and no items were removed from the scale. The values of CR (0.86) and Cronbach's alphas (0.89) showed the measure had appropriate internal consistency. CONCLUSION: The findings support the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the IU-12. This scale could be used to reliably and accurately measure uncertainty intolerance among undergraduate students in Iran.
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ItemSelf-care behaviors mediates the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients(BMC, 2022-12-26)Previous studies have shown that resilience could play an important role in enhancing the quality of life in women with breast cancer; however, the mediating role of self-care behaviors have not been studied. This study aims to explore the mediating role of self-care behaviors in the relationship between resilience and quality of life in breast cancer patients. A sample of 195 women with breast cancer (aged from 21 to 60 years; M = 45.32 ± 8.2) from three hospitals in Tehran, Iran completed online questionnaires measuring resilience, self-care and quality of life. The results of structural equation modeling showed that resilience (β = 0.546, p < .01) and self-care behaviors (β = 0.621, p < .01) positively predicted the quality of life in breast cancer patients. The bootstrapping analysis showed that self-care behaviors acted as a partial mediator between resilience and quality of life. The present study brings to light an underlying mechanism of the relationship between resilience and quality of life via the mediating variable of self-care behaviors for patients with breast cancer.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableFactors Associated With Hope and Quality of Life in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease(LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2022-04)BACKGROUND: Psychological resources such as hope have been suggested to affect quality of life (QoL) positively in patients with heart disease. However, little information regarding the relationship between these two constructs is available. PURPOSE: This work was aimed at examining the factors associated with hope and QoL in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: In this descriptive work, perceived QoL and hope were assessed in 500 patients with heart disease. The information was collected using the McGill QoL Questionnaire, demographic variables, and the Herth Hope Index. The Pearson correlation test and general linear model were used to examine correlations through SPSS Version 22. RESULTS: A considerable correlation was discovered between QoL and hope (r = .337, p < .001). Multivariate analyses with regression revealed that religious beliefs and social support both had significant and positive effects on the total perceived hope of patients and that patient age had a considerable negative impact on QoL (p < .05). None of these factors had a significant impact on hope (p < .05). In addition, the total QoL had a significant and positive effect on patient feelings and thoughts, whereas the physical problems component of QoL had a significant and negative effect on hope (p < .05). Participants with higher levels of education reported more hope. CONCLUSIONS: QoL relates significantly to self-perceived hope in patients. Understanding QoL and hopefulness in patients with coronary artery disease has implications for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableLeisure activity engagement as a predictor for quality of life in community-Dwelling older adults(WOLTERS KLUWER MEDKNOW PUBLICATIONS, 2021-01-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableStudent belongingness in higher education: Lessons for Professors from the COVID-19 pandemic(University of Wollongong, 2021-01-01)‘To learn about X, observe what happens to the system when X is removed.’ What happens to the higher education student experience when, during a pandemic, so many of the avenues for building a sense of belonging are radically and fundamentally disrupted? How should we respond as individuals, a collective and a sector, to redress this? The national student survey data in Australia has highlighted a significant drop in learner engagement and their sense of belonging as a result of the pandemic. Indeed, the pandemic has been a significant point of anxiety for students, educators, and universities globally. We see the pandemic as a unique opportunity to critically examine belongingness among university students in a climate where their normal avenues to feel they belong need to establish a new kind of normal. In this article, we seek to articulate what can be learned from the pandemic experience about student belongingness and what instructors can do to improve it, even under difficult circumstances. We found opportunities to strengthen a students’ sense of belonging in online environments, when necessary, and how responses within the constraints of lockdown and emergency remote teaching can still support student success.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableWork like a girl: Redressing gender inequity in academia through systemic solutions(University of Wollongong, 2021-01-01)Historically, the professional structure of higher education has provided restricted employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women. This is exacerbated where there is an intersection between gender and race, culture, religion, or age. Women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions across a range of disciplines, and this lack of representation of women within the professional structure of higher education itself acts as a barrier for more women reaching senior levels within institutions. More women are needed in higher positions to increase representation and visibility, and to encourage and mentor others to then aspire to follow a similar path. This critical review examines gender equity across the major career benchmarks of the academy in light of the impact of the personal contexts of women, systemic processes, and cultural barriers that hinder career progression. Research-based systemic solutions that work towards improved gender equity for women are discussed. The findings from this critical review highlight the need for global systemic change in higher education to create ethical equities in the employment, career, and leadership opportunities for women.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableBelonging: a review of conceptual issues, an integrative framework, and directions for future research(TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021-01-02)OBJECTIVE: A sense of belonging-the subjective feeling of deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences-is a fundamental human need that predicts numerous mental, physical, social, economic, and behavioural outcomes. However, varying perspectives on how belonging should be conceptualised, assessed, and cultivated has hampered much-needed progress on this timely and important topic. To address these critical issues, we conducted a narrative review that summarizes existing perspectives on belonging, describes a new integrative framework for understanding and studying belonging, and identifies several key avenues for future research and practice. METHOD: We searched relevant databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ClinicalTrials.gov, for articles describing belonging, instruments for assessing belonging, and interventions for increasing belonging. RESULTS: By identifying the core components of belonging, we introduce a new integrative framework for understanding, assessing, and cultivating belonging that focuses on four interrelated components: competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. CONCLUSION: This integrative framework enhances our understanding of the basic nature and features of belonging, provides a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on belonging and belongingness, and highlights how a robust sense of belonging may be cultivated to improve human health and resilience for individuals and communities worldwide.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableIntroducing a dual continuum model of belonging and loneliness(TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021-01-02)
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ItemPsychometric Assessment of the Persian Translation of the Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale With Undergraduate Students (Retracted Article)(FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2022-04-12)Interpersonal mindfulness is a construct that significantly contributes to social interaction. To date, no validated measure assessing interpersonal mindfulness has been developed in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate and validate the Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale (IMS) among Iranian undergraduate students. Participants in the study (370 undergraduate students; 220 females) from the Azad University completed the translated IMS, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Scale. The translated measure demonstrated acceptable face validity. All items had acceptable content validity and were deemed essential to the scale. The results of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed a scale with four subscales (presence, awareness of self and others, non-judgmental acceptance, and non-reactivity), with acceptable internal consistency. The findings support the psychometric properties of the Persian translated Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale, which could be used to measure interpersonal mindfulness among undergraduate students in Iran.
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ItemStrength-based parenting and stress-related growth in adolescents: Exploring the role of positive reappraisal, school belonging, and emotional processing during the pandemic(WILEY, 2022-02)INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the way families live, interact, and connect with others, resulting in higher levels of stress for many teenagers who struggle with the ongoing uncertainty and disrupted school and family life. The current study examined the psychosocial factors that influence the capacity of adolescents to grow through the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The sample included 404 secondary school students ranging in age from 11 to 18 (M = 14.75, SD = 1.59; 50.2% female, 46.8% male, and 3% non-/other gendered or declined to answer) from an independent high school in Australia. Data were collected from a battery of questionnaires that assessed strength-based parenting (SBP) and the effect of three psychosocial factors (positive reappraisal, emotional processing, and school belonging) on stress-related growth. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling showed that (SBP) was significantly associated with stress-related growth (SRG). Positive reappraisal and emotional processing were also positively and significantly associated with SRG and mediated the effect of SBP on SRG. Moreover, school belonging was positively linked to positive coping, emotional processing, and SRG, as well as mediating the association of SBP with positive reappraisal, emotional processing, and SRG in adolescents during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that teenagers can experience SRG during the COVID-19 pandemic, and adolescents adapting by engaging in constructive coping responses such as positive reappraisal and emotional processing is positively related to SRG.