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psychology
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On The Foundation of Cognitive Sciences: A Critique of Neurotheology
, M.Sc. Thesis Sharif University of Technology ; Hosseini, Hassan (Supervisor)
Abstract
One of the tasks of philosophy of science is to study the pre-suppositions involved in the natural sciences, to study the concepts used in scientific researches and theorizing. Hence, neglecting philosophy and even the modality of philosophical views, can have devastating effects on any science, including psychology (if it can be called science). Wittgenstein believed that in psychology we are confronted with experimental methods and conceptual confusion, and that this confusion does not go away with giving the title of young knowledge to the psychology. The emergence and dominance of behaviorism can be attributed to the effects of positivism and the uncomprehensive interpretation of physics...
Optimizing Landing Page by Digital Nudging Model; Case Study: Hair Clinic
, M.Sc. Thesis Sharif University of Technology ; Isaai, Mohammad Taghi (Supervisor) ; Najmi, Manouchehr (Supervisor)
Abstract
Living in a digital era, more and more of businesses are going online. Sudden outbreak of covid19 pandemic accelerated the expansion of e-commerce and pushed an increasing number of businesses to go online. One of the most important issues in a world of e-commerce, is how to measure the results and improve the outputs. Focusing on the digital marketing, the process is usually called “conversion rate optimization”. While there is an extensive literature on various methods of improvement and optimization, we aim to do so using the notion of digital nudging, which is rather a novel concept. Digital nudging is a model that, by incorporating nudge techniques and cognitive biases, tries to change...
Possible Impacts of Telework Initiated by COVID-19 Outbreak on Teleworkers’ Psychological Well-being: A Qualitative Study
, M.Sc. Thesis Sharif University of Technology ; Alavi, Babak (Supervisor)
Abstract
This research explores the impacts of the telework initiated by the outbreak of COVID-19, which is being called “emergent telework” in this research, on psychological well-being of teleworkers. As for the nature of emergent telework which is a new and unique phenomenon, a qualitative research is conducted. In order to do so, 15 in-depth interviews were held with employees from product teams of 11 organizations, and the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. General conditions of teleworking are identified in two categories named as “not working adjacent to coworkers” and “being away from the physical environment of the workplace”. Emergent telework, alongside the general...
Considerations on the Empirical Adequacy of Jung’s Theory of Psychoanalysis
, M.Sc. Thesis Sharif University of Technology ; Hosseini Sarvary, Hassan (Supervisor)
Abstract
Carl Jung's analytical psychology is a psychoanalytic theory that has been established with the assumption of the existence of a collective and inheritable unconscious containing archetypes. The archetypes are psychic patterns that have evolved throughout human history and are inherited by human infants. Repressing these innate and universal properties can cause psychic problems for humans. Those repressed innate properties could emerge indirectly to keep the mental balance, but this may cause problems due to being out of conscious control of the individual. According to Jung's claim, remembering and accepting these repressed identities and then integrating the conscious and unconscious...
The Nature of Folk Psychology and Its Implications for Designing Artificial Agents and Humanoid Robots
, Ph.D. Dissertation Sharif University of Technology ; Azadegan, Ebrahim (Supervisor)
Abstract
How do we enter into empathic relations with inanimate objects (IO)? Do we indirectly infer that they possess mental states, or directly perceive them as mental things? In recent years these questions have been addressed by a number of authors. Some argue in favor of an indirect approach that involves mediatory procedures; others defend a direct approach that postulates no intermediate. In this paper I argue on the side of the latter. I show that Simulation Theory (ST), one of the most elaborated versions of the indirect approach, does not have the capacity to account for our empathy with IO.Investigating ST paves the way for criticizing a special kind of indirect theory, namely Imaginative...
Unpacking Entrepreneurial Alertness: How Character Matters for Opportunity Recognition
, Ph.D. Dissertation Sharif University of Technology ; Feyzbakhsh, Alireza (Supervisor) ; Soleimanof, Sohrab (Co-Supervisor)
Abstract
Over centuries and across cultures, scholars have consistently highlighted the role of character for achieving personal and societal good. Yet we know little about how character matters for entrepreneurship. This study builds upon the theory of character strengths to extend our knowledge about personal antecedents of entrepreneurial thinking. Specifically, we examine how character strengths of valor, industriousness, and critical thinking can affect different dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness: scanning and search, association and connection, and evaluation and judgment. We use sample of 412 students to test the study’s hypotheses. The results shed light on how strengths of character...
The effects of a short-term memory task on postural control of stroke patients
, Article Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation ; Volume 22, Issue 5 , 2015 , Pages 335-341 ; 10749357 (ISSN) ; Taghizadeh, G ; Ghomashchi, H ; Parnianpour, M ; Khalaf, K ; Salehi, R ; Esteki, A ; Ebrahimi, I ; Sangelaji, B ; Sharif University of Technology
Taylor and Francis Ltd
2015
Abstract
Background: Many studies have been conducted on the changes in the balance capabilities of stroke patients. However, results regarding the effects of dual-task activities on postural control in these patients have been variable. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a short-term memory task on the sway characteristics of stroke patients. Method: Center of pressure (COP) fluctuations were measured in three levels of postural difficulty (rigid surface with closed and open eyes and foamsurface with closed eyes), aswell as two levels of cognitive difficulty (easy and difficult). COP parameters included mean velocity, standard deviation of velocity in both medial-lateral (M.L) and...
Unpacking entrepreneurial alertness: How character matters for entrepreneurial thinking
, Article Journal of Small Business Management ; 2021 ; 00472778 (ISSN) ; Soleimanof, S ; Feyzbakhsh, A ; Sharif University of Technology
Taylor and Francis Ltd
2021
Abstract
Over centuries and across cultures, scholars have consistently highlighted the role of character for achieving personal and societal good. Yet we know little about how character matters for entrepreneurship. This study builds upon the theory of character strengths to extend our knowledge about personal antecedents of entrepreneurial thinking. Specifically, we examine how character strengths of valor, industriousness, and critical thinking can affect different dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness: scanning and search, association and connection, and evaluation and judgment. We use two samples of 412 students and 145 entrepreneurs to test the study’s hypotheses. The results shed light on...
The effects of smoking on female sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
, Article Archives of Women's Mental Health ; Volume 25, Issue 6 , 2022 , Pages 1021-1027 ; 14341816 (ISSN) ; Hasheminezhad, R ; Abdolmaleki, A ; Kiaei, A ; Shohaimi, S ; Akbari, H ; Nankali, A ; Mohammadi, M ; Sharif University of Technology
Springer
2022
Abstract
The increased number of female smokers is considered a global health challenge in recent years. One of the detrimental effects of smoking is sexual hormone fluctuation causing female sexual dysfunction (FSD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of smoking leading to FSD. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) were hired for systematic searching. Until June 2022, whole qualified studies reporting the consequences of smoking on FSD were gathered for data analysis based on the random effects model (CMA software, v.2). Study heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed using I2 index and...
Arash: a social robot buddy to support children with cancer in a hospital environment
, Article Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine ; Volume 232, Issue 6 , 1 June , 2018 , Pages 605-618 ; 09544119 (ISSN) ; Shariati, A ; Alemi, M ; Vossoughi, G. R ; Eydi, A ; Ahmadi, E ; Mozafari, B ; Amoozandeh Nobaveh, A ; Tahami, R ; Sharif University of Technology
SAGE Publications Ltd
2018
Abstract
This article presents the thorough design procedure, specifications, and performance of a mobile social robot friend Arash for educational and therapeutic involvement of children with cancer based on their interests and needs. Our research focuses on employing Arash in a pediatric hospital environment to entertain, assist, and educate children with cancer who suffer from physical pain caused by both the disease and its treatment process. Since cancer treatment causes emotional distress, which can reduce the efficiency of medications, using social robots to interact with children with cancer in a hospital environment could decrease this distress, thereby improving the effectiveness of their...
Impact of leadership styles on employees’ performance with moderating role of positive psychological capital
, Article Total Quality Management and Business Excellence ; Volume 32, Issue 9-10 , 2021 , Pages 1085-1105 ; 14783363 (ISSN) ; Iqbal, S ; Abrar, M ; Ahmad Baig, I ; Amjad, F ; Zia-ur-Rehman, M ; Awan, M. U ; Sharif University of Technology
Routledge
2021
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the most effective leadership style that enhances the employees’ performance at the workplace and also evaluate the impact of leadership styles (Laissez-faire leadership, Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership,) on employees’ performance in the textile sector of Pakistan. The study explored the moderating role of Positive psychological capital to examine the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance. A quantitative research technique was used, and Data were collected from the lower to middle-level manager of the textile sector. The findings of this study showed that laissez-faire leadership has a significant but negative...
Still committed to the normativity of folk psychology
, Article Philosophical Explorations ; 2021 ; 13869795 (ISSN) ; Sharif University of Technology
Routledge
2021
Abstract
In what sense can one claim that intentional explanations are essentially normative, given that people’s actions and thinking are replete with various irrationalities, yet are still pretty well explained by this explanatory framework? This article provides a novel response to this enduring objection. First, following Brandom, it is suggested that, to understand the normativity of intentional states, we should countenance and distinguish between two normative categories of commitment and entitlement, only the former of which is argued to be essential for intentional explanations. Conflating these two normative dimensions is noted to be one of the main sources of the objections leveled against...
The impact of religiosity on the disability, psychological well-being, and somatic health of multiple sclerosis patients
, Article Mental Health, Religion and Culture ; Volume 25, Issue 5 , 2022 , Pages 519-530 ; 13674676 (ISSN) ; Eslami, M ; Dadfar, M ; Lester, D ; Ayten, A ; Rashidizadeh, A ; Shirzad, F ; Sharif University of Technology
Routledge
2022
Abstract
The aim of the study was to predict disability, psychological wellbeing, and somatic health in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with the mediating variable of religiosity. A sample of 128 patients was recruited, and were administered the Expanded Disability Status Scale, the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, and a Self-Rating Scale of Religiosity. Religiosity did not predict disability, psychological well-being, or somatic health. Religiosity was positively associated with MS duration and disability, but only in male patients. The predictors for predicting psychological wellbeing were age, disability, and somatic health. Patients with...
Still committed to the normativity of folk psychology
, Article Philosophical Explorations ; Volume 25, Issue 1 , 2022 , Pages 58-74 ; 13869795 (ISSN) ; Sharif University of Technology
Routledge
2022
Abstract
In what sense can one claim that intentional explanations are essentially normative, given that people’s actions and thinking are replete with various irrationalities, yet are still pretty well explained by this explanatory framework? This article provides a novel response to this enduring objection. First, following Brandom, it is suggested that, to understand the normativity of intentional states, we should countenance and distinguish between two normative categories of commitment and entitlement, only the former of which is argued to be essential for intentional explanations. Conflating these two normative dimensions is noted to be one of the main sources of the objections leveled against...
The effects of anxiety and external attentional focus on postural control in patients with Parkinson’s disease
, Article PLoS ONE ; Volume 13, Issue 2 , 2018 ; 19326203 (ISSN) ; Azad, A ; Mehdizadeh, H ; Habibi, S. A ; Mandehgary Najafabadi, M ; Saberi, Z. S ; Rahimzadegan, H ; Moradi, S ; Behzadipour, S ; Parnianpour, M ; Taghizadeh, G ; Khalaf, K ; Sharif University of Technology
Public Library of Science
2018
Abstract
Background Although anxiety is a common non-motor outcome of Parkinson's disease (PD) affecting 40% of patients, little attention has been paid so far to its effects on balance impairment and postural control. Improvement of postural control through focusing on the environment (i.e. external focus) has been reported, but the role of anxiety, as a confounding variable, remains unclear. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the influence of anxiety and attentional focus instruction on the standing postural control of PD patients. Methods Thirty-four patients with PD (17 with high anxiety (HA-PD) and 17 with low anxiety (LA-PD)), as well as 17 gender- and age-matched healthy control...
Anxiety and cognitive load affect upper limb motor control in Parkinson's disease during medication phases
, Article Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences ; Volume 1494, Issue 1 , 2021 , Pages 44-58 ; 00778923 (ISSN) ; Mehdizadeh, H ; Azad, A ; Mehdizadeh, M ; Reyhanian, E ; Saberi, Z. S ; Meimandi, M ; Soltanzadeh, A ; Roohi Azizi, M ; Vasaghi Gharamaleki, B ; Parnianpour, M ; Khalaf, K ; Taghizadeh, G ; Sharif University of Technology
John Wiley and Sons Inc
2021
Abstract
Anxiety is among the most debilitating nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to determine how PD patients with low and high levels of anxiety (LA-PD and HA-PD, respectively) compare with age- and sex-matched controls at the level of motor control of reach-to-grasp movements during single- and dual-task conditions with varying complexity. Reach-to-grasp movement kinematics were assessed in 20 LA-PD, 20 HA-PD, and 20 sex- and age-matched healthy controls under single- as well as easy and difficult dual-task conditions. Assessment of PD patients was performed during both the on- and off-drug phases. The results obtained during dual-task conditions reveal deficits in...
How does psychological empowerment affect knowledge management improvement in organizations? a study of cause-and-effect relationship using the fuzzy DEMATEL method
, Article IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management ; 2021 ; 00189391 (ISSN) ; Mohammadi, M ; Maleki, A ; Bonyadi Naeini, A ; Sharif University of Technology
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc
2021
Abstract
The present article aims to investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between the employees’ psychological empowerment (PE) and dimensions of knowledge management (KM) in an oil company, using the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method. The study population consists of oil company experts. The sample size is determined based on the theoretical saturation limit. The present findings show that PE is the strongest causative factor with significant effects on knowledge creation (KC) and knowledge dissemination (KD). Among the KM dimensions, the most influential factors are the dimensions of KC, knowledge application, and knowledge capture (KCA). Of all KM dimensions,...
Effects of COVID-19-related psychological distress and anxiety on quality of sleep and life in healthcare workers in Iran and three European countries
, Article Frontiers in Public Health ; Volume 10 , 2022 ; 22962565 (ISSN) ; Tahvilian, P ; Koohestani, S ; Maghooli, K ; Jafarnia Dabanloo, N ; Sarhangi Kadijani, M ; Jahantigh, S ; Zangeneh Soroush, M ; Saliani, A ; Sharif University of Technology
Frontiers Media S.A
2022
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected human beings most of whom are healthcare workers (HCWs) combating the disease in the front line. Methods: This cross-sectional study aims to explore the effects of stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 on the quality of sleep and life in HCWs, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff. In this global study, we asked 1,210 HCWs (620 and 590 volunteers from Iran and European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, respectively), who age 21–70, to participate in the test. Several measures of COVID-related stress, anxiety, sleep, and life quality, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire...
Time-course investigation of postural sway variability: Does anxiety exacerbate the sensory reweighting impairment in chronic stroke survivors?
, Article Neuropsychologia ; Volume 127 , 2019 , Pages 185-194 ; 00283932 (ISSN) ; Azad, A ; Mehdizadeh, H ; Doostdar, A ; Hoseinpour, F ; Mehdizadeh, M ; Niazi Khatoon, J ; Shokouhyan, M. R ; Parnianpour, M ; Taghizadeh, G ; Khalaf, K ; Sharif University of Technology
Elsevier Ltd
2019
Abstract
Although anxiety is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders in stroke survivors, its effect on sensory reweighting has not yet been fully studied. The aim of this work was to investigate how anticipation of collision avoidance events affects sensory reweighting in chronic stroke survivors with low and high levels of anxiety (LA-stroke and HA-stroke, respectively), as compared with healthy controls (HC), under the condition of perturbed proprioception. Eighteen LA-stroke and 18 HA-stroke survivors, as well as 18 gender- and age-matched HC, participated in this study. Postural sway variability (i.e. Root Mean Square (RMS) of the COP velocity) was measured for a duration of 180 s...
Active learning of causal structures with deep reinforcement learning
, Article Neural Networks ; Volume 154 , 2022 , Pages 22-30 ; 08936080 (ISSN) ; Salehkaleybar, S ; Hashemi, M ; Sharif University of Technology
Elsevier Ltd
2022
Abstract
We study the problem of experiment design to learn causal structures from interventional data. We consider an active learning setting in which the experimenter decides to intervene on one of the variables in the system in each step and uses the results of the intervention to recover further causal relationships among the variables. The goal is to fully identify the causal structures with minimum number of interventions. We present the first deep reinforcement learning based solution for the problem of experiment design. In the proposed method, we embed input graphs to vectors using a graph neural network and feed them to another neural network which outputs a variable for performing...