International Journal of Education and Cognitive Sciences

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for nature-based art therapy grounded in neurological mechanisms to enhance emotional, sensory, cognitive, and social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Methods and Materials: This study was designed as a theoretical–applied research using a descriptive–analytical approach. Data were collected through a systematic review of Persian and international scientific literature in the domains of art therapy, autism spectrum disorder, nature-based interventions, and neuroscience. Relevant sources were identified using databases including SID, MagIran, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria consisted of direct relevance to the study topic, scientific credibility, peer-reviewed status, and conceptual or empirical contribution. After screening and selection, the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Key themes were extracted and categorized into three primary domains: art therapy processes, nature as an enriched therapeutic environment, and neurological mechanisms underlying intervention effects. Finally, conceptual inference was employed to integrate these domains into a coherent framework.

Findings: The analysis revealed that nature-based art therapy operates through a dynamic interaction between expressive artistic processes, enriched natural environments, and neurobiological mechanisms. The findings suggest that engagement in structured art activities within natural settings facilitates sensory–motor integration, emotional regulation, and attention restoration, which are mediated by processes such as neuroplasticity, modulation of limbic activity, and enhancement of executive functioning. The integration of these components is inferred to produce synergistic effects, leading to improvements in adaptive behavior, cognitive flexibility, emotional stability, and social interaction in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Conclusion: By emphasizing the interplay between experiential, environmental, and neurological factors, the model highlights the potential of nature-based art therapy as a holistic and developmentally responsive strategy for enhancing functional outcomes in affected children.

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop a self-care educational–psychological package based on the lived experiences of young people with sensory and motor impairments and to examine its effectiveness on job satisfaction, self-compassion, and spiritual vitality.

Methods and Materials: This study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design conducted in two qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, a phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of 11 young people with sensory and motor impairments residing in Yazd, Iran. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s thematic analysis method, resulting in the extraction of 189 initial codes and several organizing and overarching themes. Based on the identified themes, a self-care educational–psychological package consisting of ten 90-minute sessions was developed. In the quantitative phase, the effectiveness of the package was evaluated using a pretest–posttest experimental design with a control group. Thirty participants were selected through stratified random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n = 15 per group). Data were collected using the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale, and the Chirean and Afroz Spiritual Vitality Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26.

Findings: The qualitative findings identified two overarching themes, namely occupational challenges and failures and occupational strategies among individuals with physical and motor limitations, which formed the foundation of the intervention package. Quantitative findings indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups following the intervention. ANCOVA results showed that the self-care package significantly improved job satisfaction (F = 18.72, p < .001, η² = .51), self-compassion (F = 15.34, p < .001, η² = .45), and spiritual vitality (F = 22.41, p < .001, η² = .55). The obtained effect sizes demonstrated substantial practical significance, indicating that the intervention accounted for a considerable proportion of variance in all three outcome variables.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that a self-care educational–psychological package developed from the lived experiences of young people with sensory and motor impairments can effectively enhance job satisfaction, self-compassion, and spiritual vitality. Integrating self-care skills, self-compassion training, occupational empowerment strategies, and spirituality-based activities appears to provide a comprehensive framework for promoting psychological well-being and occupational adjustment among individuals with disabilities. The intervention may therefore serve as a valuable resource for rehabilitation centers, counseling services, and programs designed to support the psychological and occupational development of young people with sensory and motor impairments.

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the structural relationship model between insecure attachment styles and suicidal ideation among university students, with the mediating roles of mentalization deficits and emotion regulation deficits.

Methods and Materials: In terms of purpose, this study was applied research, and in terms of methodology, it employed a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of all students of the University of Tabriz during the 2024–2025 academic year. From this population, 378 participants were selected using cluster random sampling. Data were collected using the Attachment Styles Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck, 1991), and the Mentalization Questionnaire (Dimitrijević et al., 2017). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling through SPSS-18 and AMOS-22 software.

Findings: The results indicated that insecure attachment styles, emotion regulation deficits, and mentalization deficits were significant positive predictors of suicidal ideation (p < .05). Furthermore, the structural model demonstrated a satisfactory fit, and the study variables collectively explained 69% of the variance in suicidal ideation. Emotion regulation deficits and mentalization deficits also played significant mediating roles in the relationship between insecure attachment styles and suicidal ideation (p < .05).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that insecure attachment styles increase students’ vulnerability to suicidal thoughts by weakening mentalization capacities and disrupting emotion regulation mechanisms.

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare attentional bias, interpretation bias, metacognitive beliefs, and self-compassion between patients diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and normal individuals.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a causal-comparative research design. The statistical population consisted of patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder attending psychiatric clinics and counseling centers in Tehran and normal individuals from the general population. A total of 160 participants were selected, including 80 patients diagnosed with GAD and 80 healthy individuals. Participants completed the Dot-Probe Task for attentional bias assessment, the Ambiguous Scenarios Test for interpretation bias, the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in SPSS version 27.

Findings: The results of the multivariate analysis revealed a significant overall difference between patients with GAD and normal individuals on the combined dependent variables, Wilks’ Λ = .381, F(4,155) = 63.52, p < .001, partial η² = .619. Follow-up univariate analyses demonstrated that patients with GAD reported significantly higher levels of attentional bias, F(1,158) = 145.73, p < .001, partial η² = .480; interpretation bias, F(1,158) = 174.82, p < .001, partial η² = .525; and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, F(1,158) = 160.95, p < .001, partial η² = .505, compared with normal individuals. In contrast, normal individuals exhibited significantly higher levels of self-compassion than patients with GAD, F(1,158) = 228.37, p < .001, partial η² = .591. Among the investigated variables, self-compassion showed the largest effect size, indicating the strongest differentiation between the two groups.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that Generalized Anxiety Disorder is associated with elevated cognitive and metacognitive vulnerabilities, including attentional and interpretation biases and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, as well as reduced self-compassion.

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the role of emotional intelligence in academic motivation regulation and academic performance among secondary school students, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of metacognitive strategies.

Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of secondary school students in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom 300 participants were selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory developed by Schraw and Dennison, and an academic motivation regulation scale based on Wolters’ framework. Academic performance was measured using students’ semester grade point averages in core subjects. The validity of the instruments was examined through expert review and confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability coefficients. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 26 and AMOS Version 24. Pearson correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrap procedures with 5,000 resamples were employed to test direct and indirect relationships among the study variables.

Findings: The results revealed significant positive relationships among emotional intelligence, metacognitive strategies, academic motivation regulation, and academic performance. Emotional intelligence exerted a direct positive effect on metacognitive strategies (β = .48, p < .001) and academic motivation regulation (β = .28, p < .001). Metacognitive strategies positively predicted academic performance (β = .35, p < .001), while academic motivation regulation significantly influenced academic performance (β = .44, p < .001). The structural model demonstrated satisfactory fit indices (χ²/df = 2.14, CFI = .96, TLI = .95, RMSEA = .048, SRMR = .042). Bootstrap analyses further indicated that emotional intelligence had significant indirect effects on academic performance through metacognitive strategies (β = .17, p < .001) and academic motivation regulation (β = .12, p = .005), confirming the mediating roles of these variables.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that emotional intelligence contributes significantly to students’ academic performance both directly and indirectly through enhanced metacognitive strategy use and more effective academic motivation regulation. These results highlight the interconnected roles of emotional, cognitive, and motivational processes in academic achievement and suggest that educational programs designed to strengthen emotional intelligence and metacognitive competencies may improve students’ motivation, self-regulated learning, and overall academic success.

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of short-term object relations therapy in reducing the severity of cognitive fatigue among patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Methods and Materials: This study employed an applied, quantitative design using a randomized quasi-experimental pretest–posttest structure with a control group and a three-month follow-up phase. The statistical population included patients diagnosed with MS who were referred to healthcare centers in Isfahan during 2025–2026. A total of 36 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 18) and a control group (n = 18). The experimental group received short-term object relations group therapy based on a structured 14-session protocol delivered over seven weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Fatigue Severity Scale at three time points: pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 29, including descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Levene’s tests for assumptions, and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA) where necessary.

Findings: The results of repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of group (F = 34.55, p < 0.001, η² = 0.504), a significant main effect of time (F = 41.69, p < 0.001, η² = 0.551), and a significant interaction effect between time and group (F = 73.93, p < 0.001, η² = 0.685) on cognitive fatigue severity. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons revealed significant reductions in cognitive fatigue from pretest to posttest (p < 0.001) and from pretest to follow-up (p < 0.001), as well as a smaller but significant difference between posttest and follow-up (p = 0.037) in the experimental group.

Conclusion: Short-term object relations therapy is an effective intervention for reducing cognitive fatigue in patients with MS, producing significant and sustained improvements that highlight the importance of addressing emotional and relational processes in the management of fatigue-related symptoms.

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop a structural model of post-traumatic growth in women affected by marital infidelity based on emotional self-awareness with the mediating roles of sense of psychological coherence and emotional adjustment.

Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of women affected by marital infidelity who referred to licensed counseling and psychotherapy centers or psychiatrists in Tehran during the first quarter of 2023. Based on the formula proposed by Tabachnick and Fidell (2013), 230 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data collection instruments included the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun (1996), the Emotional Self-Awareness Questionnaire developed by Rieffe et al. (2008), the Sense of Coherence Scale developed by Antonovsky (1993), and the Emotional Adjustment Questionnaire developed by Rabeau et al. (2007). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and SmartPLS version 3 at descriptive and inferential levels.

Findings: The findings demonstrated that emotional self-awareness had a significant positive direct effect on post-traumatic growth (β = 0.426, p < 0.01), sense of psychological coherence (β = 0.516, p < 0.01), and emotional adjustment (β = 0.580, p < 0.01). Sense of psychological coherence also had a significant positive direct effect on post-traumatic growth (β = 0.360, p < 0.01). Furthermore, emotional self-awareness indirectly predicted post-traumatic growth through the mediating role of sense of psychological coherence (β = 0.186, p < 0.01). However, emotional adjustment did not significantly predict post-traumatic growth (β = -0.071, p > 0.05), and its mediating role in the relationship between emotional self-awareness and post-traumatic growth was not significant (β = -0.041, p > 0.05). The overall model demonstrated acceptable fit and predictive power.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that emotional self-awareness and sense of psychological coherence play significant roles in facilitating post-traumatic growth among women affected by marital infidelity. Emotional self-awareness contributes to positive psychological transformation both directly and indirectly through strengthening individuals’ sense of coherence.

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Couple CARE-based premarital counseling and the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) on perfectionism and communication skills among individuals preparing for marriage.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of individuals seeking premarital counseling services at counseling centers in District 6 of Tehran during the first six months of 2024. Following multistage cluster sampling and screening procedures, 45 eligible participants were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: Couple CARE intervention (n = 15), PREP intervention (n = 15), and control (n = 15). The intervention groups participated in six 90-minute sessions conducted twice weekly, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Hill Perfectionism Inventory and the Communication Skills Questionnaire. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests were performed using SPSS-26.

Findings: The results revealed significant effects of group, time, and group × time interaction for all dimensions of perfectionism and communication skills (p < .01). Both Couple CARE and PREP significantly reduced perfectionism and improved communication skills compared with the control group. For perfectionism, the largest effect size was observed for negative perfectionism (η² = .642), whereas the smallest effect size was found for positive perfectionism (η² = .398). For communication skills, the largest effect size was associated with the total communication skills score (η² = .735). Comparisons between the intervention groups indicated that PREP produced significantly greater improvements than Couple CARE across most outcome variables, particularly in reducing negative perfectionism and enhancing message-sending and message-receiving abilities. Follow-up analyses further demonstrated that PREP maintained its effects across all dimensions, whereas Couple CARE showed partial attenuation of gains in several communication and perfectionism components.

Conclusion: Both Couple CARE-based premarital counseling and the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program were effective in reducing maladaptive perfectionism and improving communication skills among individuals preparing for marriage. However, PREP demonstrated superior effectiveness and greater stability of outcomes over time. These findings suggest that structured relationship education programs emphasizing communication, conflict management, and realistic expectations may be particularly beneficial for enhancing marital readiness and promoting healthier future relationships.