Structural Relationships Modeling of Obsessive Beliefs based on Social Perception, Mentalization, and Empathy with the Mediating role of Emotional Regulation

Authors
zahra Ramezannia
hossein Zare
susan Alizadehfard
Payam Noor
Abstract
The aim of present study is determining the fit of the obsessive beliefs model based on social perception, theory of mind or mentalization, and empathy with the mediation of emotional regulation in a non-clinical population. The sample consisted of 400 adults aged 25 to 50 in Tehran selected by using the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools included OBQ Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT), Baron and Cohen’s (2001) Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright's Empathy Quotient Scale (2004), and Kraaij and Garnefski's Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (2019). According to the results, the exogenous variables of social perception and empathy along with the mediator variable "positive emotion regulation strategies and negative emotion regulation strategies" had a significant effect on the criterion variable i.e. obsessive beliefs. Thus, social perception, empathy and positive emotion regulation strategies were able to predict obsessive beliefs. Among the path coefficients between research variables, the coefficients of the exogenous variable of mentalization on the criterion variable (obsessive beliefs) and negative emotional regulation strategies (as a mediating variable) had no significant effect. These findings have many practical implications both for prevention and providing more comprehensive and better treatments for obsessions.
Keywords
Obsessive beliefs
Social cognition
social perception
Mentalization
empathy
Emotional regulation
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