Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS)

Prediction of Cognitive Flexibility Based on Attention Control, Working Memory, and Problem-Solving Skills in Adolescents Using CatBoost

Negin Sanjarinia ^* iD

Objective: The present study aimed to predict cognitive flexibility based on attention control, working memory, and problem-solving skills in adolescents using the CatBoost machine learning algorithm.

Methods and Materials: This study was conducted using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational, and predictive design. The statistical population included adolescents studying in secondary schools in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year. The final sample consisted of 384 adolescents selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using standardized self-report instruments measuring cognitive flexibility, attention control, working memory, and problem-solving skills. After preliminary data screening, descriptive indices, reliability coefficients, Pearson correlation coefficients, and machine learning-based predictive analyses were conducted. The CatBoost algorithm was used to predict cognitive flexibility, and the dataset was divided into training and test subsets. Model performance was evaluated using mean absolute error, mean squared error, root mean squared error, coefficient of determination, and five-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was also performed to determine the relative contribution of each predictor.

Findings: The results showed that cognitive flexibility had significant positive correlations with problem-solving skills (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), attention control (r = 0.55, p < 0.01), and working memory (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). The CatBoost model demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy. In the training set, the model explained 76.5% of the variance in cognitive flexibility, while in the test set, it explained 65.2% of the variance. The cross-validation results also supported the stability of the model, with an average R² of 0.636. Feature importance analysis indicated that problem-solving skills had the highest predictive contribution, followed by attention control and working memory.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that cognitive flexibility in adolescents can be meaningfully predicted by problem-solving skills, attention control, and working memory. The CatBoost algorithm provided an effective predictive model and showed that problem-solving skills were the most important predictor.

The Effectiveness of Group-Based Positive Youth Development Training on Attachment to Parents and Alexithymia in Male Adolescents with a Tendency Toward Addiction in Isfahan

Manije Ghazi iD , Mohammad Ghasemi Pirbalouti ^* iD , Fariba Kiani iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group-based Positive Youth Development training on attachment to parents and alexithymia among male adolescents with a tendency toward addiction in Isfahan.

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included male lower-secondary students with a tendency toward addiction in Isfahan during the 2023–2024 academic year. Thirty eligible adolescents were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received twelve 90-minute weekly sessions of Positive Youth Development training, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Data were collected using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests.

Findings: Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a significant time effect for attachment to mother, attachment to father, and alexithymia. The results showed that the intervention produced a significant improvement in attachment to mother and a significant reduction in alexithymia from pretest to posttest and follow-up. However, the between-group effect for attachment to father was not significant, and Bonferroni comparisons confirmed that changes in attachment to father were not statistically meaningful. The intervention effects for attachment to mother and alexithymia remained stable at follow-up.

Conclusion: Group-based Positive Youth Development training can be considered an effective preventive and corrective intervention for improving attachment to mothers and reducing alexithymia in male adolescents with a tendency toward addiction. However, improving attachment to fathers may require longer, family-based, or father-inclusive interventions.

The Relationship of Classroom Emotion, Self-Compassion, and Tolerance of Ambiguity with Academic Anxiety among Female Senior High School Students in District 9 of Karaj

Maryam Mohamadbeiki Khortabi iD , Morteza Tarkhan ^* iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship of classroom emotion, self-compassion, and tolerance of ambiguity with academic anxiety among female senior high school students in District 9 of Karaj.

Methods and Materials: The present study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. The statistical population consisted of female senior high school students in District 9 of Karaj, from whom 210 students were selected initially through multistage cluster sampling and finally through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Friedman and Jacob Test Anxiety Questionnaire (1997), the Classroom Emotion Questionnaire developed by Titsworth et al. (2010), the Tolerance of Ambiguity Questionnaire developed by Weden et al. (2003), and the Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale developed by Raes et al. (2011). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive indices, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression analysis.

Findings: The inferential findings indicated a significant negative relationship between classroom emotion and academic anxiety, suggesting that more positive classroom emotional experiences were associated with lower levels of academic anxiety. A significant negative relationship was also found between self-compassion and academic anxiety, indicating that students with higher self-compassion experienced lower academic anxiety. In the stepwise regression analysis, classroom emotion emerged as the strongest predictor and explained 15.50% of the variance in academic anxiety. Self-compassion was added in the second step and explained an additional 2.20% of the variance. Together, classroom emotion and self-compassion accounted for 17.70% of the total variance in academic anxiety. Tolerance of ambiguity did not enter the final predictive model.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that classroom emotion and self-compassion are important psychological and educational variables in predicting academic anxiety among female senior high school students. Strengthening positive classroom emotional experiences and promoting self-compassion may help reduce students’ academic anxiety.

Designing a Curriculum Model Based on Artificial Intelligence and Purposeful Physical Activity to Enhance Learning Self-Regulation, Mental Health, and Psychological Well-Being among Students

Sara Rastkar Ebrahimzade iD , Parisa Masoudian iD , Nasrin Mohaddes iD , Mehdi Akbarzadeh sgay ^* iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: The objective of this study was to design and validate a curriculum model based on artificial intelligence and purposeful physical activity with emphasis on enhancing learning self-regulation, mental health, and psychological well-being among students.

Methods and Materials: This applied developmental study was conducted using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, 20 experts in curriculum studies, educational technology, artificial intelligence in education, physical education, educational psychology, and student mental health were selected through purposive criterion-based sampling from Tehran and participated in semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to extract the main dimensions, components, and indicators of the proposed curriculum model. In the quantitative phase, 384 secondary school students from Tehran were selected through multistage cluster sampling during the 2025–2026 academic year. Data were collected using a researcher-made curriculum model validation questionnaire, a learning self-regulation questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire, and a psychological well-being scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.

Findings: The inferential findings showed that the final curriculum model had acceptable empirical fit. The final modified model demonstrated favorable fit indices, including χ²/df = 2.14, GFI = 0.917, AGFI = 0.901, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.944, RMSEA = 0.054, and SRMR = 0.043. Artificial intelligence-based curriculum components had significant direct effects on learning self-regulation, mental health, and psychological well-being. Purposeful physical activity also had significant direct effects on learning self-regulation, mental health, and psychological well-being. Learning self-regulation and mental health significantly predicted psychological well-being. The model explained 48% of the variance in learning self-regulation, 43% of the variance in mental health, and 57% of the variance in psychological well-being.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that an integrated curriculum model based on artificial intelligence and purposeful physical activity can provide an effective educational framework for strengthening students’ self-regulated learning, supporting mental health, and promoting psychological well-being.

The Mediating Role of Moral Development and Religious Orientation in the Relationship of Narcissism and Bullying with Academic Cheating among Upper Secondary School Students

Atefeh Khanmohammadi iD , Homam Moyedfar iD , Qamar Kiani ^* iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to model the effects of narcissism and bullying on academic cheating through the mediating roles of moral development and religious orientation among upper secondary school students.

Methods and Materials: This applied correlational study was conducted among upper secondary school students in Zanjan during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 311 students, including 167 boys and 144 girls, were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using Murdock and Stephens’ Academic Cheating Questionnaire, the 16-item Narcissistic Personality Inventory by Ames, Rose, and Anderson, the Illinois Bullying Scale by Espelage and Holt, Manavipour’s Moral Development Scale, and Allport and Ross’s Religious Orientation Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, path analysis, and bootstrap testing in SPSS version 28 and AMOS version 24.

Findings: The proposed model demonstrated acceptable fit indices (GFI = 0.90, CFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.053). Narcissism positively and significantly predicted academic cheating (β = 0.168, p = 0.003), and bullying also positively and significantly predicted academic cheating (β = 0.274, p < 0.001). Moral development negatively predicted academic cheating (β = -0.202, p < 0.001). Intrinsic religious orientation (β = -0.181, p < 0.001) and extrinsic religious orientation (β = -0.187, p < 0.001) also negatively and significantly predicted academic cheating. Narcissism (β = -0.270, p < 0.001) and bullying (β = -0.320, p < 0.001) negatively predicted moral development. Indirect effect analysis showed that moral development significantly mediated the relationships between narcissism (β = 0.054, p = 0.002) and bullying (β = 0.065, p < 0.001) with academic cheating. Intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation also showed significant mediating effects.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that moral development and religious orientation function as protective mechanisms in the relationships of narcissism and bullying with academic cheating. Preventive and educational interventions aimed at reducing academic cheating may benefit from strengthening moral reasoning, empathy, moral self-regulation, and the internalization of religious values among upper secondary school students.

The Role of Self-Awareness, Self-Control, and Spirituality in the Prevention of Social Harms Among Youth

Seyed Naser Moshir Estekhareh ^* iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of self-awareness, self-control, and spirituality in the prevention of social harms among youth.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive-correlational design with a predictive modeling approach was used. The sample consisted of 350 young people aged 18 to 29 years selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale, and a demographic information form. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, hierarchical multiple regression, and structural equation modeling.

Findings: Self-awareness, self-control, and spirituality were negatively associated with vulnerability to social harms (r = -.43, -.58, and -.49, respectively; p < .001). The hierarchical regression model was significant, F(6, 343) = 42.78, p < .001, and explained 42.8% of the variance. Self-control was the strongest negative predictor (β = -.37, p < .001), followed by spirituality (β = -.26, p < .001) and self-awareness (β = -.18, p = .002). The structural model showed acceptable fit, χ²/df = 2.22, CFI = .94, TLI = .92, RMSEA = .059, and SRMR = .046.

Conclusion: Self-awareness, self-control, and spirituality appear to be important protective factors against vulnerability to social harms among youth. Prevention programs should strengthen reflective capacity, impulse regulation, meaning-making, and value-based decision-making.

The Mediating Role of Self-Injurious Thoughts in the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Death Obsession with Suicide Attempts Among Adolescents Experiencing War Anxiety

Zeinab Ameri iD , Maryam Daram ^* iD , Shida Asobar iD , Habibeh Khazael iD , Ziba Gol Aflak iD , Alireza Ahmadipour iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-injurious thoughts in the relationship between psychological distress and death obsession with suicide attempts among adolescents experiencing war anxiety.

Methods and Materials: This applied study was conducted using a correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical sample consisted of 215 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years living in Mahshahr, who were selected through voluntary sampling. The research instruments included the Shomali and Barkhordari War Anxiety Questionnaire, the Osman et al. Suicide Attempt Questionnaire, the Abdel-Khalek Death Obsession Scale, the Kessler et al. Psychological Distress Scale, and the Shomali and Barkhordari Self-Injurious Thoughts Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling through SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 24.

Findings: The inferential results showed that the direct effects of psychological distress and self-injurious thoughts on suicide attempts were positive and statistically significant. The direct effects of psychological distress and death obsession on self-injurious thoughts were also positive and statistically significant. In addition, the indirect effects of psychological distress and death obsession on suicide attempts through self-injurious thoughts were positive and statistically significant. However, the direct effect of death obsession on suicide attempts was not significant in the final structural model. These findings confirmed the mediating role of self-injurious thoughts in the relationship between psychological distress, death obsession, and suicide attempts among adolescents experiencing war anxiety.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that self-injurious thoughts are a key cognitive-emotional mechanism linking psychological distress and death obsession to suicide attempts in adolescents exposed to war-related anxiety. Therefore, preventive and therapeutic interventions should prioritize the early identification and modification of self-injurious thoughts, especially among vulnerable adolescents experiencing psychological distress and death-related preoccupations.

The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy in Improving Psychological Flexibility and Zest for Life Among University Students Who Have Experienced a Romantic Breakup

Samaneh Seyedabadi iD , Maryam Nasri ^* iD , Fatemeh Shahabizadeh iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy in improving psychological flexibility and zest for life among university students who had experienced a romantic breakup.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design with a follow-up assessment. The statistical population comprised all university students in Birjand who had experienced a romantic breakup during the 2025–2026 academic year. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling, and 30 eligible students were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The research instruments included the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (2010) and the Zest for Life After Romantic Breakup Questionnaire (Shomali & Barkhordari, 2026). The experimental group received group-based emotion-focused therapy in eight 90-minute sessions held twice weekly, whereas the control group received no intervention during this period. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni post hoc test. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27.

Findings: The results indicated that emotion-focused therapy had a significant effect on increasing psychological flexibility and zest for life among university students who had experienced a romantic breakup (p < .01). These effects were also maintained at the one-month follow-up assessment, and the differences between the experimental and control groups remained statistically significant for both variables (p < .05).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, emotion-focused therapy can be used as an effective intervention to improve psychological flexibility and enhance zest for life among university students who have experienced a romantic breakup. It is recommended that this therapeutic approach be implemented systematically within university psychological and counseling services, particularly for students experiencing emotional distress following romantic breakups.

Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS)

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The Effectiveness of Systems Thinking Training and Creative Problem-Solving on Social-Emotional Skills in University Students

The Effectiveness of Anger Management Skills Training and Assertive Behavior Training on Interpersonal Relationships and Tendency Toward Drug Use Among Female High School Students

The Relationship Between Maladaptive Perfectionism and Academic Burnout with Students’ Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Spiritual Intelligence

Predicting Cyberbullying–Cybervictimization Experience Based on Parent–Child Relationship, Psychological Well-Being, and Internet Addiction in Adolescents in Isfahan City

The Effectiveness of Resilience-Based Group Training on Uncertainty Intolerance, Future Orientation, and Stress Appraisal in High School Students

Designing a Metacognitive Training Mobile Application and Evaluating Its Effectiveness on Meta-Worry and Metacognitive Beliefs in University Students with Anxiety Symptoms

Development of a Social Anxiety Model Based on Dark Personality Traits and Metacognition With the Mediating Role of Alexithymia Among University Students in Kermanshah

Comparing the Effectiveness of Mentalization-Based Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Time Perception and Self-Forgiveness in Adolescents with Self-Injurious Behaviors

Design and Testing of a Model of the Effect of Social Situation Appraisal on Social Anxiety in Female University Students with the Mediating Role of Safety Behaviors and Social Beliefs and Thoughts

Developing a Structural Model of Academic Engagement Based on Academic Self-Regulation and Academic Buoyancy: The Mediating Role of Epistemological Beliefs in Students

Prediction of Students’ Academic Satisfaction Using Deep Learning Algorithms Based on Self-Efficacy, Professor–Student Interaction, Mental Health, and Achievement Motivation

Elastic Net Regression for Predicting Psychological Well-Being among Adolescents from Resilience, Self-Compassion, Gratitude, and Perceived Social Support

Hybrid XGBoost–SHAP Prediction of Adolescent Academic Achievement from Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Academic Motivation, Procrastination, and Sleep Quality

Cybervictimization and Disordered Eating Among Adolescent Girls: A Structural Equation Model of Appearance Comparison, Body Dissatisfaction, and Self-Esteem

Family Conflict and Adolescent Aggression: A Structural Equation Modeling Study of Parental Psychological Control, Autonomy Frustration, and Anger Dysregulation

Childhood Emotional Neglect and Substance Misuse among Emerging Adults: The Mediating Roles of Alexithymia, Experiential Avoidance, and Loneliness

ADHD Symptoms and Academic Performance Among Adolescents: The Roles of Executive Dysfunction, Smartphone Distraction, and Academic Procrastination

Classifying Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Risk Based on Childhood Trauma, Emotion Dysregulation, Peer Rejection, and Depressive Symptoms Using a Support Vector Machine

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Prediction of Cognitive Flexibility Based on Attention Control, Working Memory, and Problem-Solving Skills in Adolescents Using CatBoost

The Effectiveness of Group-Based Positive Youth Development Training on Attachment to Parents and Alexithymia in Male Adolescents with a Tendency Toward Addiction in Isfahan

The Relationship of Classroom Emotion, Self-Compassion, and Tolerance of Ambiguity with Academic Anxiety among Female Senior High School Students in District 9 of Karaj

Designing a Curriculum Model Based on Artificial Intelligence and Purposeful Physical Activity to Enhance Learning Self-Regulation, Mental Health, and Psychological Well-Being among Students

The Mediating Role of Moral Development and Religious Orientation in the Relationship of Narcissism and Bullying with Academic Cheating among Upper Secondary School Students

The Role of Self-Awareness, Self-Control, and Spirituality in the Prevention of Social Harms Among Youth

The Mediating Role of Self-Injurious Thoughts in the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Death Obsession with Suicide Attempts Among Adolescents Experiencing War Anxiety

The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy in Improving Psychological Flexibility and Zest for Life Among University Students Who Have Experienced a Romantic Breakup