Social Psychology Research

Abstract Abstract Introduction: This research was conducted to develop a causal model of the tendency to cheat in the exam based on irrational beliefs and self-control with the mediation of anxiety. Method: This research was a descriptive-correlational study using the structural equation method. The statistical population included all the students of Kosar University in Bojnord in the academic year 2022-2023, from which 240 students were selected by random cluster sampling. The research tools were Stephens and Golbaj's (2007) academic cheating questionnaires, Jones' irrational beliefs (1968), Tanji et al.'s self-control (2004),, and Beck's anxiety (1988). Findings: The results showed a significant correlation between all variables (P<0.05). Also, helplessness against change (0.0316), expectation of approval from others (0.0444), and self-control (0.0327) explained the variance of the tendency to cheat in the exam indirectly and with the mediation of anxiety. Conclusion: The results show that irrational beliefs and self-control affect the tendency to cheat with the mediation of anxiety. According to the obtained indices and coefficients, it can be concluded that the proposed model for developing the causal model of academic cheating tendency is suitable and the data has a good fit with the research model.

Abstract Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which job insecurity, salary discrepancies, and work difficulty predict anxiety among organizational employees in Tehran, with social comparison as a potential mediating variable. The concept of social comparison, where individuals evaluate their attributes or circumstances by comparing them with others, has been recognized as a significant factor in the development of anxiety.
Method: The research design was a structural equation model using a correlational approach. A sample of 200 participants was selected from the Tehran Province Highway and Road Transport Organization (HRTO) using an available sampling method. The study utilized Beck's Anxiety Inventory (1988), Nisi's Job Security Questionnaire (1999), Gibbons and Bonk's (1999) Social Comparison Questionnaire, and Armstrong's Performance and Salary System Questionnaire (2006).
Results: The structural equation model was found to fit the data adequately, with the following fit indices: goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.922, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.922, incremental fit index (IFI) = 0.929, and adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) = 0.88. Furthermore, the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (X2/df) was calculated at 1.76, indicating an acceptable fit to the data.
Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that job insecurity, salary discrepancies, and work difficulty are significant predictors of anxiety among employees in Tehran, with social comparison acting as a mediating variable. The study demonstrates the complex interplay between job insecurity, unfair compensation practices, and social comparison processes in the development of anxiety.

Abstract Introduction: The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between facing patients’ death, the probability of infection to COVID-19, job satisfaction, and non-deterministic moral decision-making with mediating role of anxiety. Method: This research was a correlational and path analysis study, and participants were selected based on convenience sampling during the first peak of COVID-19 in May 2020. In this study, 190 healthcare workers in hospitals allocated to COVID-19 patients responded to questionnaires of non-deterministic moral decision-making scenarios (Christensen, Flexas, Calabrese, Gut, & Gomila, 2014), probability of infection to COVID-19 (Hyland et al., 2020), facing patients’ death (Mosheva, 2020), job-satisfaction (Afulani et al., 2021), and COVID-19 related anxiety (Benham et al., 2021). Data were analyzed using correlation and path analysis with SPSS and AMOS. Results: Findings showed that utilitarian behavior is positively correlated with anxiety (p < 0.001), facing patients’ death (p < 0.001), and the probability of infection (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with job satisfaction (p < 0.01). Moreover, another finding was that anxiety mediated the relationship between the probability of infection and utilitarian behavior (p < 0.01) but not the other ones. Conclusion: These findings imply that the situation caused by COVID-19 has cognitive and psychological impacts on healthcare workers, and as a result, changes their moral decisions and their attitude regarding resource allocation.

Abstract Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between negative emotions, fear of missing out, and being a victim of cyberbullying.
Method: This research was a descriptive-correlational study using structural equation modeling. The target population of the study was all adolescents aged 15 to 18 years old living in Tehran. The sample size of 400 cases was recruited from all parts of Tehran city. A questionnaire was sent to each participant with an informed consent document. The questionnaire included demographic information, The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21), the Fear of Missing Out Scale & Cyber-bullying Questionnaire. Data collection during the pandemic COVID-19 was fulfilled using online questionnaires. Analysis performed using Liesel Software for structural equation modeling.
 
Findings: The results of the research showed that Instagram is the first social network used by the adolescents of the population studied. The next social networks and online messengers used are WhatsApp, Telegram, Domestic Applications (Bale, Eitaa, Soroush, Shad), Skype, and Facebook in order. The direct effect of negative emotions on the fear of missing out and being the victim of bullying is significant. Also, the fear of missing out has a direct effect on being a victim of cyberbullying. On the other hand, the findings showed that negative emotions do not lead to cyberbullying victimization either directly or independently.
   

Abstract Introduction: The corona disease epidemic and quarantine have had different effects on the social and psychological aspects of individuals. The aim of this research was to study the relationship between the anxiety and the social cohesion that caused by Coronavirus with mental health in Teheran.
Method: For this purpose, a sample of 618 men and women adults evaluated by GHQ-12 Inventory, Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (Alipour, 2020), and social cohesion (based on wellbeing questionnaire of Keys and Shapiro, 2004) through online recall and via social network. To analyze the data, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis was used. Results: The results showed anxiety and social cohesion that caused by Coronavirus had meaningful statistical correlation with mental health. Also mental health could be predicted positively by social cohesion, negatively by anxiety.
Conclusion: These results indicated the positive and negative psychological and social effects of quarantine, and had practical implications in the development of crisis interventions at the time of the Corona disease outbreak.