Relationship between disgust propensity and contamination obsessive-compulsive symptoms: The mediating role of information processing bias

Background: Early studies showed that disgust contributes to developing the contamination obsessive-compulsive disorder (C-OCD) and fear of contamination. Despite considering disgust to explain the fear of contamination as a symptom of C-OCD, there are few studies on the mediating role of information processing bias (IPB) in the relationship between disgust propensity (DP) and the fear of contamination. Objectives: The current study aimed at exploring the mediating role of IPB between DP and fear of contamination. Methods: The current descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 386 students selected by cluster sampling method. The employed tools were disgust propensity and sensitivity scale-revised (DPSS-R), the Padua inventory (PI), obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ), and spatial cueing task. Data were analyzed with Amos-22 software. Bootstrap methods were used to analyze the mediating role. Results: Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that the proposed model had a good fitness GFI (goodness of fit index), TLI (the Tucker-Lewis index), and CFI (comparative fit index) > 0.95 and RMSEA (root mean square error of approximation) = 0.03. The results showed that the relationship between DP and fear of contamination was mediated by IPB. Conclusions: Results indicated the impact of disgust propensity on fear of contamination through information processing. These findings emphasized that information processing is essential to explain C-OCD. © 2018, Author(s)

The Effects of Learning Strategies in Increasing the Tolerance of Ambiguity and Hence the Language Proficiency

This study attempts to find the effects of learning strategies in increasing the tolerance of ambiguity and hence the language proficiency. To this aim 135 Shahed University students were randomly selected according to their English Entrance exam grades and CELT proficiency test scores to make sure that the subjects are culturally and linguistically homogeneous. These subjects filled out the questionnaire of Mac Lain's Second language tolerance of ambiguity scale and they were divided in to two groups with high and low tolerance of ambiguity. Then 80 subjects were randomly selected and divided into high and low tolerant, control, and experimental groups. They took the TOFEL pretest. Then they were taught the special learning strategies for increasing their tolerance of ambiguity during one semester. Again they participated in a TOFEL post test. The data were analyzed by "Analysis of Variance" and Toki test. The results indicate that there is a significant difference between low tolerant experimental group and other groups which make the influence of teaching of the strategies clear

To Study Reliability and Validity for A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)

The objective of this study was to investigate reliability and validity of a brief self-report scale (GAD-7) developed to identify probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder. The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-report questionnaire developed by Spitrzer in 2006, for screening for GAD and assessing its severity in clinical practice and research. 199 students selected from Shahed University for the study as non clinical group and 24 patients suffered from generalized anxiety disorder, selected from a psychiatric clinic in Tehran. Research tools employed in the study were Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), State-Trait anxiety inventory (STAI), Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) and anxiety subscale of Symptom Checklist (SCL- 90). The coefficient Alpha obtained for the total scale, and coefficient Alpha obtained for each part of the scale, and also the test–retest correlation obtained indicated a suitable reliability for the scale. Correlations calculated among GAD-7 and other instruments used in this study, suggested acceptable validity for the scale. Factorial analysis for the scale also showed one factor loading. And the scale was able to differentiate between clinical and non clinical group