The Fourth
National Conference
of Applied
Psychological Research
in UAE and Gulf Region
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Conference Chair:
Dr. Anita Kashi
Conference Committee:
Dr. Lynda Hyland
Dr. Eleni Petkari
Ms. Bianca Bertl
Many Thanks to our volunteers:
Psychology Students
Middlesex University Dubai
www.mdx.ac.ae
Middlesex University Dubai
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Conference Program
09.00-09.30Registration
09.30-09.40Welcome
09.40-10.30
Jakob Pietschnig
Intelligence: Central nervous contributions, dynamic population trajectories, and why we should care
10.30-10.45 Tea break
Session 1
10.45-11.05
Louise Lambert
Positive (Public) Health: The “curious” case of physically activity in the United Arab Emirates
11.05-11.25
Kennon Rider
Parents and Young Adults: Differences in Partner Selection Preferences
11.25-11.45
Dalia Ali Al Habahbeh & Shagufta Parveen Shakil
Prevalence of Stress and Coping Strategies Adopted by Students at the Medical Campus
11.45-12.05
Chahak Agrawal
The Psychology of Domestic Help in Urban India
12.05-13.00
Poster Session
Asma Abdelhameed Ali Al Jesmi Al Zarooni, Fatma Ibrahim Bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, Alya Fayez Saleh Hassan Zamoo & Hamda Ibrahim Abdulla Mohamed Al Saeedi
Environmental Factors Affecting UAE Juvenile Crime
Abbas Jarrahi, Ahmad Almaiman, Areej Alrawi, Layal Al Barghouthi & Lujain Almubarak
Lifestyle Changes among Freshmen University Students
Mousa Suhail Mousa Abu Ghoush, Mohammed Ali Sabah Abdul Qadir, Safa Baker Yousif Al-Abdullah & Zahraa Jassim Kadhim Al-Lami
UOS medical students’ perception about learning in small groups
Soraya Raeisipour & Saba Mirza
Predictors of Attitudes towards Physical Activity: A Study amongst Student Athletes
Anna Wojcieszek, Cecilia Tardy, Daniel Dean, Emelie Svedelius, Mona Younes, Rohael Jamil, Sharon Saji & Vanessa Goes
The Influence of Media on Body Image Satisfaction among Men and Women across Individualistic and Col
lectivistic Cultures
Twinkle Darlene Correa, Laila Kothiya, Taima Khabbaz, Fatima Al-Dallal, Lovelyn Chandrasekhar, Nur Afiqah Farhana Binte Zainal Abidin & Devika Balasubramanian
Superstitious beliefs, Culture and education
13.00-14.15 Conference Lunch
www.mdx.ac.ae
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Session 2
14.15-14.35
Fadwa Al-Mughairbi
The Effect of a new Herbal Compound on Memory Of l- Monosodium Glutamate Treated Rats
14.35-14.55
Samhar Nahab & Batool Jamal Abu Halimeh
Gestational diabetes awareness in women in childbearing age in Sharjah
14.55-15.15
Hiba Amjad & Sameera Rehman
Exploring the Determinants of Deviant Workplace Behavior in UAE
15.15-15.35
Leila Raffoul
Parents’ Quality of Life: A Perspective on the public’s treatment towards their children with special needs
15.35-15.55
Ahmad Riyadh Al-Shaye & Mohammed Atef
Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms among Working Mothers in UAE
15.55-16.20 Tea break
Session 3
16.20-16.40
Lydia Miller
A qualitative analysis of the social attitudes towards mental illness: student and mental health support worker perspectives
16.40-17.00
Rajeshree Singhania
Poor eye contact may not be the only sign! Analysis of different aspects of early communication profiles in pre-school children with autistic spectrum disorders and comparing them to their cognitive, language and symbolic play abilities in Dubai, U.A.E
17.00-17.20
Emad Shahrouri & Olga Pykhtina
The Neurobiological Basis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder “Theoretical Review“
17.20-17.40
Samineh I. Shaheem
The Emirati International Student’s Sojourn Cycle: Exploring the Impact of Acculturation and Repatriation on Cultural Identity Transformation
17.40-18.00
El Rasheed Hassan
Health Seeking Behavior among Medical Students in the University of Sharjah
18.00-18.10Farewell
Middlesex University Dubai
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Welcome from the Director
I am pleased to welcome you to the Fourth National
Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and
Gulf Region organized by the Psychology Department
at Middlesex University Dubai. The conference covers a
range of interesting themes in the dynamic field of applied
psychology which will be of great interest to all academics
and practitioner. I am pleased that this year we have
expanded our geographical area of delegates from the UAE
to the entire Gulf Region.
I am also delighted to welcome Dr. Jakob Pietschnig as the
Keynote Speaker. Dr. Jakob has been a faculty member at
Middlesex Dubai and the organizer of this conference last
year and is held in high esteem amongst his colleagues
and students. The Psychology Department at Middlesex
University Dubai led by Dr. Anita Kashi and her team of Dr.
Lynda Hyland, Dr. Eleni Petkari, Bianca Bertl, and Douglas
Russell have put together an excellent conference
programme and have visited universities across the UAE to
ensure a great turnout of academics and researchers.
Middlesex University Dubai is London’s first and only
campus in the UAE, and the first university to offer
a Master’s programme in Applied Psychology. At the
undergraduate level, Middlesex University offers the
opportunity for students to graduate with an Honors degree
in Psychology with specialization in Counselling, Human
Resource Management, Marketing, and Education.
As the leading University in Psychology in the region we
are pleased to host this conference. Please feel free to
explore our campus, interact with our faculty and staff. I
wish you a successful conference.
Dr. Cedwyn Fernandes
Director
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Welcome from Dr. Anita Shrivastava
Welcome to the 4th National Conference of Applied
Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf region. This unique
yearly event provides an opportunity to share professional
growth in the area of Applied Psychology and allied
fields by bringing together academics, practitioners and
researchers. Considering the significant success of our last
three conferences, this year the Department of Psychology
extended the region beyond UAE, and included a poster
session to inculcate a research culture among students, the
future researchers.
I am amazed to see the interest people have shown to
present their research in our conference and participate in
such an informative professional discussion. The field of
psychology is ever evolving and psychology research in UAE
is fast growing. This fascinating interest in both quantitative
and qualitative research among UAE professionals is evident
in the diversity of submitted research papers. This event
will be an excellent platform for sharing, disseminating,
and highlighting research conducted by professionals and
students. From research conducted in the work place to
an experimentally controlled lab setting, from qualitative
insights to quantitative verifications this conference
promises to have something of interest to all of us.
On behalf of the psychology department at Middlesex
Dubai, I welcome you all to a very enjoyable and thought
provoking event.
Dr. Anita Shrivastava Kashi
Campus Program Coordinator and Sr. Lecturer
Department of Psychology, Middlesex University Dubai
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Intelligence: Central nervous contributions,
dynamic population trajectories, and why we
should care
Jakob Pietschnig
Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention
Faculty of Psychology
University of Vienna, Austria
Cognitive ability assessment and intelligence
testing have a long tradition in psychological
research and application. Two important aspects
of intelligence will be addressed in the present
keynote: First, associations of IQ with volumetric
aspects of the brain and second, dynamic
population IQ trajectories will be presented.
Brain size differences have long been
suspected to be responsible for a substantial
amount of between-individual variations in
cognitive ability. However, before the advent
of modern brain imaging methods (e.g., PET,
MRI), investigations of associations between
brain size and IQ relied heavily on rather crude
proxies of brain size (e.g., head circumference
or head volume) which consequently led to
crude estimates of the examined associations. A
recent research synthesis of a large number of
samples (k = 140; N = 8,000+) investigating the
relation of MRI-based estimates of brain volume
and IQ indicates that previously reported
associations have been substantially inflated.
Indeed, the brain volume – IQ relation appears
to account for about 6% of the observed
variance. This means that brain size may be
seen as one of many compensatory factors
whilst brain structure and integrity are likely to
be more important determinants of cognitive
performance.
In a different vein, perhaps one of the most
important findings in the more recent history
of intelligence research is evidence for dynamic
changes of intelligence test scores in the
general population over time. This phenomenon
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– commonly referred to as the Flynn effect – has
been observed to be predominantly positive,
indicating substantial increases of intelligence
test results although strength of IQ gains appear
to be differentiated according to IQ domain
(i.e., crystallized vs. fluid intelligence) and
investigated country. Recent reports, however,
show evidence for non-linearity and decreasing
strength of gains in the past decades, indicating
that IQ gains may perhaps come to an end
in the next decades. This interpretation is
supported by novel data showing a reversal
of the Flynn effect on several IQ domains in a
number of countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland,
France). Such a reversal may conceivably be
explained by a saturation and diminishing
returns of IQ-boosting factors such as improved
education and nutrition, increasing test taking
behavior, or reduced pathogen stress, which are
no longer sufficient to mask detrimental effects
of decreasing psychometric g (i.e., general
cognitive ability as opposed to specialized
abilities).
In all, the presently summarized recent
developments in intelligence research indicate
only modest associations of brain size with IQ
whilst population IQ test score gains may come
to an end and conceivably reverse.
Keywords: intelligence, cognitive abilities, IQ
test norm changes, neurocognitive development
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Positive (Public) Health: The “curious” case of
physically activity in the United Arab Emirates
Louise Lambert (1) & Francelle Toedtli (2)
1
2
Canadian University Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Public health efforts often focus on reducing
factors that contribute to ill-health, such as
obesity, sedentary behavior, or smoking. Yet,
this traditional view of what individuals are
not doing overlooks several those individuals
who are engaging in positive health behaviors
and their reasons for doing so, as well as the
positive health assets they gain as a result.
Focusing on the absence of health behaviors
does little to shed light about why and how
individuals successfully build states of health,
information that is useful for the development
of health initiatives. Consequently, this study
investigates the experiences of such individuals
and explores the narratives of 10 Emirati
nationals who have successfully embarked
on health building journeys and developed
a number of psychosocial assets as a result.
We also explore the relevancy of positive
psychology and of positive health in particular,
for public health efforts in the United Arab
Emirates.
Keywords: Positive health, positive psychology,
qualitative, public health, United Arab Emirates
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Parents and Young Adults: Differences in
Partner Selection Preferences
Dr. Kennon Rider & Dr. Rana Tamim
Zayed University
Arranged marriages are the norm in many
cultures where parents or larger kinship groups
select partners for their offspring with limited
involvement from the young adults themselves.
This research aimed at exploring differences,
if any, between parents’ preferences for their
daughters’ and sons’ partners and what the
young men and women want for themselves.
Participants included a total of 612 parents
and young adults from the Emirates of Dubai
and Abu Dhabi, who completed a 42-item
checklist of traits, rating each according to
level of importance when selecting their
(or their daughter’s/son’s) partner. Factoranalysis revealed four main factors accounting
for 36.7% of the variance (F1: social and
personal communication skills; F2; physical
traits; F3: cultural-related perspectives; and F4:
professional and academic status). Analysis of
variance and paired samples t-tests were used
to investigate the presence of any variations
between participants’ preferences. Results
indicated that there are some significant
differences between the two generations and
among the same generation when selecting
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a partner for a male or a female. Social and
communication skills were more significantly
relevant with young adults than with their
parents, while physical traits were significantly
more important for young females and their
mothers than young males and their fathers.
Parents considered cultural-related perspectives
significantly more important when selecting
partners for their sons than their daughters,
while professional and academic status was of
significantly higher importance when selecting
partners for their daughters.
The current study indicates that partner
selection norms are in transition in the UAE
as they appear to be in other cultures. With
education and exposure to other cultures,
young adults will likely seek more voice in
decision-making when it comes to their futures.
Furthermore, the mismatch between parents’
and young adults’ criteria for partner selection
might be a possible explanation for the
increasing divorce rate in the UAE.
Keywords: UAE, Partner Selection, Parent-Young
Adult Preferences
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Prevalence of Stress and Coping Strategies
Adopted by Students at the Medical Campus
Dalia Ali Al Habahbeh, Shagufta Parveen Shakil Ahmed, Omar Ahmad Albahar,
Mariam Abdulrahman Alali & Ghayth Hassan Alawwa
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Background: Medical students are often under
a lot of stress which negatively impacts their
cognitive functioning and learning during their
medical training. Positive coping skills can help
students handle various stressors. Aim: The
purpose of this study was to measure stress
levels of medical students at University of
Sharjah and to describe the coping strategies
that they utilized.
(95% CI of 54-66). First year medicine students
had the highest stress prevalence (66%).
There was no significant difference in stress
levels between different years of both majors.
Females were more stressed (67%) than males
(47.1%) (P=0.001). Academic stress is the most
common cause of stress. Religion (67%) and
active coping (61%) were the most commonly
used coping strategies among both majors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted
among 300 medical and dental students
studying at University of Sharjah using the
perceived stress scale (PSS) to assess stress
levels and the Brief COPE Inventory to recognize
the coping strategies used. Ethical approval
was obtained prior to the study. SPSS was used
for data analysis. Results: All students were
between 18-23 years old of whom 65% were
females. The prevalence of stress was 60%
Conclusion: Significant prevalence of stress is
attributed to academic factors.
Significance: Strategic plans should tackle the
main causes of stress and provide students
effective ways of coping.
Keywords: Stress, Stressors, Coping strategies,
Medical students, Active coping, Brief COPE,
Perceived Stress Scale.
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
The Psychology of Domestic Help in Urban India
Chahak Agrawal & Riti Chandrashekhar
Amity University, Noida, U.P., India
The dependence on domestic help in the Indian
cities has been growing steadily as working
members of the upper middle class find it hard
to take care of the daily chores. At the same
point in time large population of unskilled labor
manage to migrate to the cities desperate
to find a reliable source of livelihood. Having
acknowledged the need for domestic help
it should be objectively viewed that these
members of society have been compromising
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and neglecting themselves and their family
members to make ends meet. Through this
research paper the psychological struggles of
the domestic help surface as this qualitative
study takes into account. Interviews of both
the perspectives that is the employer and the
employee- the domestic help - were taken into
account while compiling this paper. Moreover,
the methods of helping the domestic help at a
psychological level were taken into account.
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
The Effect of a new Herbal Compound on
Memory Of l- Monosodium Glutamate Treated
Rats
Fadwa Al-Mughairbi (1), Fatima Kaneez Shad (2), Iqbal Choudhry (3), Mahir Hilal
(4) & Saima Ilyas (5)
United Arab Emirates University, Department of Psychology and Counseling, P.O. Box 17771, Al
Ain, UAE
2, 3, 6 Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drugs Research, International Center for
Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi- 75270 Pakistan
4 Sultan Qaboos University, Al Jaameah Street, Al Khoudah, Area 50, Oman
1
Background: Memory may severely decrease
throughout aging &evolution of some CNS
degeneration pathologies as well as a
consequence of oxidative stress & chronic stress.
The development of drug effective for dementia
widely anticipated because of the increase in
the elderly population. Dementia has some
histological degeneration in brain including
hippocampus. Glutamate is a major excitatory
neurotransmitter found with the central nervous
system. Glutamate plays an important role
in normal neurological functioning such as
fast response to stimuli, cognition, memory,
movement, and sensation. However, in
excessive levels, glutamate is excitotoxic and
has been shown to cause neurological damage.
It is believed that the neurotoxic effects of
glutamate result in motor neuron damage and
ALS.
Method: The adult wistar male rats were used
with average weight of 300gm divided into 5
groups were injected with lMSG (l-monosodium
glutamate) at a dose of 4g/kg on alternate
days for 10 consecutive days (5 injections).
Semecarpus anacardium (herbal nuts) has also
been given with two different concentrations
to the animals in their water bottles. lMSG
induced specific degeneration of hippocampal
pyramidal cells in the CA1 region of Wistar rats.
Animals were behaviorally tested in a battery of
tests consisting of delayed matching to sample,
delayed non matching to sample &spontaneous
alteration.
Results: In treated animals, the correct response
rate was significantly lower than control group.
Semecarpus anacardium with two different
concentration induced different effects on
memory. The correct response rate of behavioral
task significantly different from the lMSG
treated group when low concentration was
used. The response rate of behavioral task was
significantly lower than control group when
high dose was used. Raisins were also used as
memory enhancer.
Conclusion: Low doses of semecarpus
anacardium showed neuroprotective properties
as measured by behavioral tasks. More studies
are needed to investigate its protective, toxic
effects and mechanism of action at cellular
levels.
Keywords: Semecarpus Anacardium, memory,
neuroprotective
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Gestational diabetes awareness in women of
childbearing age in Sharjah
Amr Elmekresh, Samhar Nahab, Rawan Aboukhater, Batool Jamal AbuHalimeh
& Amina Vergara Bakro
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Background / Aim: Gestational diabetes
mellitus (GDM) is a current health problem that
affects a large number of female populations
and has deleterious impact on both the mother
and the child. The aim of this study is to assess
the awareness of GDM among females in the
childbearing age in Sharjah community.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional
study awareness about GDM in females of
general population aged between 18-45 years
was assessed. A validated questionnaire was
used. Responses were scored from 0-39, a score
of 19 indicated awareness. Data was analyzed
using Chi-square independent T-test for bivariate
analysis, via SPSS21 software.
Results: Four hundred and fifty women
participated in the study, of which 73.5%
were aware of the disease. Married women
had a higher level of awareness compared
to non-married women (M=14.8, M=12.44
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respectively,), t (390)=2.46, p = 0.01. Awareness
between Emirati and non-Emirati wasn’t
significant, (M=13.80, M=13.01, respectively);
t (402)=1.00, p = 0.32. Also a Chi-square test
revealed no relationship was found between
Age and the level of awareness of GDM,
2(24, N = 450) = 21.42, p =0.61, as well as
no relationship between level of Education
obtained and the level of awareness of GDM , 2
(24, N = 450) = 19.92, p =0.70.
Conclusion: Although the awareness of GDM
as a disease in Sharjah community is high, the
depth of knowledge was poor.
Significance: More efforts are necessary to
implement educational program to improve the
knowledge about GDM
Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus,
childbearing age, pregnant women, women,
knowledge, awareness
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
The Psychology of Domestic Help in Urban India
Nasreen Khan, Hiba Amjad & Sameera Rehman
SZABIST Dubai,UAE
Deviant workplace behaviour has become an
area wherein significant research contributions
are commanded as it evidently has both
economic impacts and societal effects on
the organization. Considering the dearth
of empirical research studies on workplace
deviance in the UAE, this exploratory research
helps in identifying the factors that may lead
to deviance at workplace. The findings of this
research study will help in developing an
understanding of those factors that may be
resulting into deviation from organizational
norms, thus subsequently leading to positive
and or negative deviance. The researchers have
conducted unstructured interviews among the
employees working in educational sector in
Dubai. In order to identify the determinants
that may lead to workplace deviance, the
researchers undertook content analysis method.
The research concluded that prominent
determinants causing workplace deviance are
namely empowerment, management support,
employee employer relationship, leadership
effectiveness, employee satisfaction, employee
involvement, perceived fairness and equity,
organization culture, effective monitoring and
rewards and recognition system. All of the
determinants are work related and organization
related. The findings of this study need to be
further investigated by undertaking quantitative
research. It is important for organizations to
ensure that any deviation from organizational
norms is not leading to negative effect but
at the same time organizations need to work
towards supporting positive deviance. Individual
related determinants that may lead to deviance
can be probed to develop a comprehensive
understanding of workplace deviance.
Keywords: Deviant workplace behaviour,
exploratory research, positive deviance,
negative deviance
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Parents’ Quality of Life: A Perspective on the
public’s treatment towards their children with
special needs
Leila Raffoul
[email protected]
Public’s attitude and behavior towards children
with developmental disabilities heavily affects
the way they feel welcomed into society. This
is also negatively internalized by parents. The
present study attempted to view how parents
perceive their children with special needs are
being treated by the public and how it has in
turn affected their quality of life. It was also
suspected that differential treatment by the
public exists towards different disabilities. This
study also included a qualitative perspective to
gain deeper insight into these families’ lives.
The present study was conducted at centers
and schools for special needs in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. N = 193 parents of children
with different developmental disabilities
completed a questionnaire targeting parental
perceptions of public treatment towards their
children and the Quality of Life questionnaire
by The WHO. A strong positive correlation
between both variables was obtained r = .38,
p <. 001. The study showed that there was no
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preferential treatment found to exist between
different forms of disabilities (all ps > .05),
in other words, parents in the study, found
that there was no difference in the public’s
treatment towards children with different
forms of special needs. This study aimed at
gaining a better understanding of how the
public treated families with disabilities in Dubai.
Parents saw that the more their children were
being accepted, the better their quality of life
became. Although no treatment biases were
noted, it is recommended to provide the part
of the questionnaire targeting this variable,
to the general public, in order to obtain a
better understanding as to whether differential
treatment does exist. Further recommendations
and limitations have been noted for future
research.
Keywords: Developmental Disabilities,
Special Needs, Quality of Life, World Health
Organization, Public Perception, Public Attitudes
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms among
Working Mothers in UAE
Ahmad Riyadh Al-Shaye, Tasnim Mohammed, Ola Baker Al-Abdullah &
Mohammed Atef
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Background: Working women population is
increasing in UAE. Working may increase the
stress on mothers with other home duties and
reflect on family.
Aim: Measuring the prevalence of depressive
symptoms among working mothers in UAE.
Methods: This is a cross sectional study using
convenient sample of mothers who are
engaged in paid jobs outside the house, and
raising children, speak Arabic or English, and
above 18 years old. We used a questionnaire
assessing demographics, education, social,
psychological, financial status, work factors
and somatic symptoms, and the CES-D scale
to measure the prevalence of depressive
symptoms. SPSS version 21 was used for data
analysis.
Results: A total of 405 working mothers (2261yrs), Emiratis, Arabs and non-Arabs in Dubai,
Sharjah and Ajman, who were married, divorced
or widowed participated in the study. 21 were
excluded due to missing data. Prevalence of
depressive symptoms was 48.2%. (38.8% of
Emiratis, 58.8% of Arabs and 31.9% of NonArabs ; (p-value = 0.000). 45.2% of the wives of
supportive husbands were depressed, whereas
59.6% of wives of unsupportive husbands were
depressed. Educational level (P=0.003), age of
children (P<0.0005), sleeping hours (P<0.0005),
income (P<0.0005), work satisfaction (P=0.001),
and the somatic complains; heart flutters,
joint pain, constipation, unexplained fatigue,
headache were significantly correlated to
prevalence of depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were found
to be prevalent among working mothers in UAE.
Further studies are needed to investigate the
causes.
Significance: Early detection of depressive
symptoms among working mothers is important
to preserve family health.
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
A qualitative analysis of the social attitudes
towards mental illness: student and mental
health support worker perspectives
Lydia Miller
The aim of the research is to explore the social
attitudes towards mental illness of a sample
of Sheffield Hallam University students and
community mental health support workers.
Possessing a label of ‘mentally ill’ can be
problematic due to the expression of negative
attitudes from society and even an individual’s
family members. Furthermore, an interesting
amount of research has suggested that even
mental health professionals endorse negative
attitudes towards their own patients. Therefore,
a study is needed to explore what societal
processes can lead to the expression of
stigma, discrimination and prejudice towards
individuals with mental health difficulties. This
research was based on an extensive review of
the relevant literature and two focus groups
discussions. The participants recruited from
Sheffield Hallam University campus comprised
the first focus group and the mental health
support workers comprised the second focus
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group. Thematic analysis concluded that the
students possessed stereotypical views and
notions of mental illness and cited the media
as an influential factor in creating negative
attitudes. In contrast, the mental health support
workers drew upon their personal experiences
and contact with individuals with mental illness,
which indicated more positive attitudes. This
dissertation recommends that early education
and accurate media portrayal of mental illness
are pivotal to deconstruct the negative ideas
of mental illness. Thus, in return this may
change an individual’s desire for contact with
an individual with mental illness which has also
been found to be an indicator to facilitate a
change in attitude.
Keywords: Mental health, social attitudes,
stigma, mental health professionals, media
influence
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Poor eye contact may not be the only
sign! Analysis of different aspects of early
communication profiles in pre-school children
with autistic spectrum disorders and comparing
them to their cognitive, language and symbolic
play abilities in Dubai, U.A.E
Rajeshree Singhania
Singhania Clinic
Communication in young children covers a
wide range of skills. Primary carers and doctors
play an important role in early identification of
autism (Johnson et al 2007). In Dubai, they
often focus on poor eye contact and dislike
of physical contact whilst ignoring the rest.
This delays diagnosis of autism and hinders
early intervention. Communication skills in
36 preschool children between the ages of
1.6 years to 4.6 years diagnosed with autism
were analysed using the Early Communication
Assessment (ECA) (Coupe O’Kane & Goldbart,
1998). The ECA has 13 different areas of
early communicative functioning, which
are divided into 3 to 5 levels or stages of
development. These ranged from Reflexive
level, Reactive Level, Pre-intentional Level,
Primitive Intentional Level and Intentional level
conventional level. The 5 levels were grouped
into 3 so as to make it easier for the various
areas to be compared. The communicative
areas, which were most delayed or affected
in this cohort were – joint referencing, social
organisation, turn-taking and imitation. The
communicative areas, which were least affected
were – Affective behaviour and Audio-visual
behaviours. Thus poor eye contact was not
necessarily a significant sign. Communication
abilities were also compared to the children’s
cognitive abilities, language abilities and to
their ability in symbolic play. There was no
connection between the levels of intelligence
and communication, so that some intelligent
autistic children in the cohort had severe
communication difficulties. However, the
communication abilities were linked to their
language and symbolic play.
Keywords: joint referencing, social organisation,
turn-taking, imitation, symbolic play, language
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Neurobiological Basis of ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder
“Theoretical Review“
Emad Shahrouri & Olga Pykhtina
College of Education
American University in the Emirates – Dubai
The purpose of this paper is to investigate
the link between neurobiological causes,
specifically genes inheritance, and obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD). To achieve this
aim, a full theoretical review was conducted, a
number of research papers were found for (15)
different articles and research papers between
the years (2010-2015). The majority of the
published research papers and recent statistics
conclude that OCD affects approximately (3%)
of the general population, including children
and adults. Genetic factors are suggested to
be responsible for causing OCD in (27 to 49%)
of the population with (65%) of individuals
experiencing OCD in their childhood and
adolescent years. On the other hand, some
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studies suggest that the genetic factors are not
the predominant reason for OCD. Since a large
percentage of the population is affected by
OCD, this paper aims to provide a review of the
latest researches on the impact of genes on OCD
development. The paper will also attempt to
find the answer for the following questions: (1)
to what extent is the OCD development caused
by genetic factors? (2) What do the up-to-date
researches conclude about the impact of the
heritage as the neurobiological basis for OCD
development?
Keywords: obsessive-compulsive disorder,
genetics, family study, twin study, linkage study,
candidate gene study.
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
The Emirati International Student’s Sojourn
Cycle: Exploring the Impact of Acculturation and
Repatriation on Cultural Identity Transformation
Samineh I. Shaheem
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Adjunct Professor at Hult University
Learning & Development People Specialist
The numbers of Gulf students, particularly
those from the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
whom travel specifically to the United Kingdom
(UK) for tertiary education, are continuously
increasing. Reflecting upon sojourner identities
during their time abroad, as well as repatriation
experiences upon their return, this research
explores cultural identity transformation for
Emiratis between two different locations. A
stronger connectivity to the cultural dimensions
of Emirati identity resulted in a more successful
acculturative outcome, with fewer repatriation
challenges. Such insights hope to make a
contribution to those working within the
international education sector and to students
themselves. Through this work, Dr. Shaheem
offers valuable insights to universities and
educators so that they can assist international
students during their academic journeys, as
well as their transition back to their countries of
origin.
Keywords: Acculturation, sojourner, identity,
repatriation, international students, Emirati
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Health Seeking Behavior among Medical
Students in the University of Sharjah
El Rasheed Hassan El Awad, Ahmed Jamal Mahmoud Sawalha, Nour Ahmed
Aboukalam, Rama M. Nazir Bakie & Nadia Mohamed Harrash Aldhuhoori
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Background: Medical Students report barriers
to seeking health and are more likely to seek
advice informally from friends and/or family.
(Brimstone et al. 2007) It is important to
identify health seeking behavior among medical
students, to be able to identify commonalities,
proper or not, and interfere accordingly.
Objectives: To identify health seeking behaviors
of medical students in UOS and identify the
factors that affect these behaviors. Methods: A
cross-sectional study using self-questionnaire
was conducted at the University of Sharjah.
Questionnaire items were developed by the
researchers based on an extensive literature
review. Demographics, attitudes to hypothetical
illnesses and vignettes were used to measure
the prevalence of each behavior and the factors
influencing each. Questions were related to
physical health only. Data was analyzed using
SPSS21 software.
Results: Response rate was 74% (361). Selfprescription was the most common practiced
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health seeking behavior (91.8% - 96.6% with
a CI of 95%). Followed, in order, by: ignoring a
health problem, seeking immediate care, using
the internet & reading more about the problem
and self-diagnosis & management. Other
behaviors were also identified at a lesser scale.
Factors like: self-care orientation, stage of study
and others influenced the students’ behaviors.
Conclusion: UOS Medical Students Self-care
orientation was the main trigger for health
seeking. Studying Medicine influenced their
different behaviors supporting literature. Most
behaviors found were not optimal for health
achievement.
Significance: The different behaviors found calls
for more research about the topic in the region
to reach a health-promoting awareness plan.
Keywords: self-prescription, self-diagnosis,
healthcare seeking behavior, self-care, medical
student.
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Environmental Factors Affecting UAE Juvenile
Crime
Asma Abdelhameed Ali Al Jesmi Al Zarooni, Fatma Ibrahim Bin Abdulaziz Al
Mualla, Alya Fayez Saleh Hassan Zamoo & Hamda Ibrahim Abdulla Mohamed
Al Saeedi
Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah Women’s College
This capstone research study was completed in
the Spring, 2015 by five semester eight social
work students at HCT Sharjah Women’s College.
The purpose of the study was to research the
link between UAE environmental factors and
youth crime. The aim of the research was to
inquire into the leading causes of UAE youth
crime and identify environmental factors. The
research study used a mixed method design
to include retrospective case file reviews
and surveys at three UAE Juvenile Centers.
Sample size included review of 64 cases files,
survey of 32 staff and interviews with 31
juveniles. The results of the study indicated
connections between peer influence, mental
illness, substance abuse and UAE juvenile
crime. Surprising results were differences
between staff beliefs, 38% who believed
youth who committed crimes were from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds and case file
reviews which indicated of youth came from
middle to upper socioeconomic backgrounds.
Qualitative data gathered through juvenile
interviews identified themes of peer influence
as being an important risk factor in juvenile
crime, and 90% of case file reviews and juvenile
interviews supported these beliefs.
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Lifestyle Changes among Freshmen University
Students
Abbas Jarrahi, Ahmad Almaiman, Areej Alrawi, Layal Al Barghouthi
& Lujain Almubarak
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Introduction: The transition faced by freshmen
students can be the most exciting or terrifying
life events, depending on an individual’s
reaction. The purpose was to determine the
lifestyle changes in relation to academic, social,
psychological and physical adjustments among
a population of students of the Medical, Dental,
Pharmacy and Health Sciences Colleges at the
University of Sharjah.
Methodology: Cross-sectional study conducted
during the academic year 2013-2014, via selfadministered questionnaires to 400 freshmen
students. Random cluster sampling was used
for students who attended fall semester 2013,
excluding repeating or transfer students.
Results: Prevalence of academic, social and
physical challenges were found to be 49%,
20% and 12%, respectively. Firstly, pertaining
to academic lifestyle changes, difficulty in study
load (54%), time management (49%) and study
skills (29%) were noted. Secondly, physical
lifestyle changes found were changes in weight
(29%loss, 25%gain), exercise (43%decrease,
17%increase) and meal intake (46%decrease,
16%increase). Furthermore, notable changes
in types of food consumed were found to be;
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homemade food (64%high-school, 7%college),
fruits (44%high-school, 12%college),
vegetables (40%high-school, 14%college),
and fast food which was greatly increased
in college (6%high-school, 72%college).
Thirdly, in relation to social lifestyle changes
only 29% of students noted sufficient family
time during college compared to high-school.
Lastly, psychological lifestyle changes were as
follows; both stress and homesickness showed
the same result (73%increase, 27%decrease)
and self-esteem changes (52%increase and
11%decrease).
Conclusion: In conclusion, the most prevalent
lifestyle changes were identified and adequate
measures should be taken to bring out the
students’ best potential and enrich their
university experience.
Keywords: Transition, Freshmen Students,
Adjustments, Physical challenges, Social
challenges, Psychological challenges, Academic
challenges, Difficulties, Study Load, Time
management, Study skills, Stress, Self-esteem,
Lifestyle changes
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
UOS medical students’ perception about
learning in small groups
Mousa Suhail Mousa Abu Ghoush, Mohammed Ali Sabah AbdulQadir, Safa
Baker Yousif Al-Abdullah & Zahraa Jassim Kadhim Al-Lami
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah
Background. Learning theories are conceptual
frameworks that describe how information is
absorbed, processed, and retained .Cognitive,
emotional, and environmental influences,
as well as prior experience, all play a part in
how understanding, is acquired or changed,
and knowledge and skills retained. One such
approach is small group learning, which is
one of the most important features of medical
education.
Objectives. The purpose of this study is to
describe students’ perception toward small
group learning.
Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study
was conducted among years one , two and
three UOS medical student in September 2012
through November 2013. Convenience sampling
was used.
Results. A total of 277 UOS medical students
participated, year 1(n=105), year 2 (n=84),
and year 3 (n=88) where 39% were males and
61% females, the mean age was 20 years. The
most rewarding experiences as perceived by
medical students were exposure to different
views (71%),cooperative learning environment
(66%),making friends (57%) and underwent
personal development (46%),while the main
disadvantages included : time wasting (55%),
side talks (14%) , distractions (7%) , conflicts
within the group (4%),dominance of certain
members (1% ) ,and others (15%).The most
preferred types of learning in small groups
were: Clinical skills groups (88%),Anatomy lab
groups(86%),TBL(77%),PBL(70%).
Conclusion. Majority of students had a good
perception and positive attitude towards small
group learning and agreed that it enhances
their collaborative learning, team work skills
and cognitive function.
Significance. This study evaluates the
importance of adopting a collaborative learning
environment in medical education and the
perceived benefits in various domains, the
cognitive, social and personal development.
Keywords: PBL, Small Group Learning,
University of Sharjah
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Predictors of Attitudes towards Physical
Activity: A Study amongst Student Athletes
Soraya Raeisipour & Saba Mirza
Middlesex University Dubai
Aims/Background: Despite the physiological
and psychological benefits of physical activity
(PA), a recent study by the World Health
Organization (2015) shows that more than
80% of the world’s adolescent population is
insufficiently physically active. Furthermore,
existing literature has explored how attitudes
may influence engaging behaviour, by utilizing
cognitive, affective and behavioural approaches.
Various studies have found that common
factors that prevent engagement in PA include
lack of time and income, commitments, and
avoidance of discomfort. Therefore, the present
study aimed to investigate the predictability of
attitudes towards obese people, healthy eating
intentions, sports anxiety and mindfulness
towards attitudes towards PA, amongst student
athletes from Middlesex University.
Methods: 81 student athletes were recruited
using snowball sampling. Five questionnaires
were administered, assessing the participants’
levels of mindfulness and sports anxiety,
attitudes towards obese individuals, healthy
eating intentions, and beliefs towards physical
activity. Additionally, multiple-linear regression
was conducted.
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Results: Results suggest that sports anxiety
significantly predict attitudes towards PA, with a
variance of 16% (p < .05), in comparison to the
other variables.
Discussion/Conclusion
Sports anxiety was the strongest predictor of
attitudes towards PA, suggesting that athletes
who have a high level of anxiety during sport
performance might have active attitudes
towards PA, which might encourage PA
behaviour.
Significance: The current study has addressed
physical inactivity as a regional and global
epidemic. A recommendation that emerged
was the need to encourage PA within the
UAE, as a majority of the population is less
physically active (The National, 2014). Finally,
it is believed that focus should also be placed
on lifestyle changes such as engaging in
mindfulness-based activities, better nutritional
choices and positive attitudes towards obese
people, which will most likely lead to a
healthier physical and mental state.
Keywords: Attitudes towards obese people,
healthy eating intentions, mindfulness, physical
activity (PA), sports anxiety.
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
The Influence of Media on Body Image
Satisfaction among Men and Women across
Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures
Anna Wojcieszek, Cecilia Tardy, Daniel Dean, Emelie Svedelius, Mona Younes,
Rohael Jamil, Sharon Saji & Vanessa Goes
Middlesex University Dubai
Objectives: The aim of this research is to
explore the effect of media, culture and sex
on self-reported body image satisfaction. The
hypotheses of this study are that there will be
a difference in body image satisfaction scores
among men and women; and that there will
be a difference in scores across collectivistic
and individualistic cultures. There will also
be a difference between media control and
experimental group.
Design: This research project consists of a
between-groups experimental design, the
independent variables being media, culture and
sex and the dependent variable being selfreported body image satisfaction.
Methods: 141 participants (women = 73,
men = 68) between the ages of 17-57 (mean
age=22.64) from the general population were
recruited and selected using opportunistic
sampling, from Dubai. They were asked to
watch either an experimental or a control video.
After which they were to complete the Body
Satisfaction Questionnaire (BSQ-14).
results showed that culture and media had no
significant effect on body image satisfaction.
A significant difference was found between
men and women regarding their body image
satisfaction. It was found that women have
higher body image satisfaction comparatively to
men.
Conclusions: The results regarding media,
culture and sex showed that there is a
significant difference between men and
women in body image satisfaction, with men
being more dissatisfied. This may be induced
through media or cultural factors. No significant
difference was revealed regarding culture
and media. It can be concluded that in recent
times there is a shift of pressure between men
and women where women are not put under
as much pressure as men to change their
appearance and instead women now might
embrace their physique.
Keywords: Body image satisfaction,
individualistic, collectivist culture, gender
differences, media influence
Results: The research study conducted a 2x2x2
factorial ANOVA for the analysis of the data. The
Middlesex University Dubai
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The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Superstitious beliefs, Culture and education
Twinkle Darlene Correa, Laila Kothiya, Taima Khabbaz, Fatima Al-Dallal,
Lovelyn Chandrasekhar, Nur Afiqah Farhana Binte Zainal Abidin & Devika
Balasubramanian
Middlesex University Dubai
Objectives: The aim of the study is to find a
relationship between educational status, type of
culture and levels of superstitious beliefs. It was
hypothesized that participants who attended
university and are from individualistic cultures
have lower levels of superstition.
Design: Cross sectional study using between
group method followed by a 2x2 factorial
ANOVA.
Methods: 215 participants were chosen using
convenience sampling from locations in Dubai.
They were 111 males and 104 females aged
between 18-59 with a mean of 28.09. Study
used Superstitiousness questionnaire from Zebb
& Moore (2003) to measure level of superstition
and questionnaire to attain demographic
information.
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Results: Using a 2x2ANOVA, explored significant
interaction between culture and education,
whereas the main effects for both independent
variables were not significant. A simple effect
analysis demonstrated that participants from
individualistic cultures had lower levels of
superstition when attended university compared
to when they did not attend. Educational status
showed no difference regarding participants
from collectivistic background.
Conclusions: The study states that people
attending university from individualistic culture
have lower superstitious beliefs, whereas
people from collectivist culture have moderate
superstitious beliefs whether educated or not.
Keywords: Superstition, culture, education,
individualistic, collectivistic
The Fourth National Conference of Applied Psychological Research in UAE and Gulf Region
Middlesex
University
Dubai
Middlesex University Dubai
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Disclaimer
The University has attempted to ensure that the information contained in this booklet is accurate and up to date at the
time of publishing, but cannot be liable for any errors, changes since compilation or omission and for any loss, direct or
consequential arising in connection with the information in this publication. The University reserves the right to change the
information included herein at any point and without notice in response to changing circumstances.
Middlesex University Dubai
Dubai Knowledge Village,
Blocks 4, 16, 17 & 19
t. +971 (0)4 3678100
[email protected]
www.mdx.ac.ae