Investigating the Mediating Role of Guilt in the Association between Brain-behavioral Inhibition Systems and Marital Commitment in College Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Background: Marital commitment is the strongest and most stable predictor of the quality and stability of marital relationships.


Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of guilt in the association between brain behavioral inhibition and marital commitment among college students.

 
Methods: The present study is a practical correlational research project. The target population consisted of all married students at the Faculty of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Iran, during the academic year 2022-2023. A convenience sampling method was used to select 130 married female students. The data collection tools were Dimensions of Commitment Inventory, The Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems Scales, and Interpersonal Correlates of the Guilt Inventory. The researchers used SPSS software (version 27) to conduct descriptive statistics and SmartPLS software (version 4) to examine data trends and relationships between variables.


Results: According to the findings, brain behavioral inhibition was found to have a detrimental impact on marital commitment (β=-0.284; P=0.002). In a similar vein, brain behavioral inhibition had a favorable impact on sin (β=0.200: P=0.044) and on state guilt (β=0.243: P=0.005). Nonetheless, brain behavioral inhibition had a negative impact on ethical standards (β=-0.341; P<0.001). However, none of the indirect interactions involving the guilt component were deemed significant.
 

Conclusion: The results indicated that focusing on the impact of behavioral inhibition system activity and guilt is crucial in enhancing the bond between partners, particularly married women and students, and developing effective therapeutic strategies.
 

Keywords

Acknowledgments: The researchers would like to thank the married students at Islamic Azad University, Karaj branch, who were enrolled in the Faculty of Psychology from 2022-2023 for their support and valuable contribution to the research success. 

Availability of data and materials: The corresponding author can provide it upon request during submission or after it has been published.

 

Conflicts of interests: The authors stated that they have no conflict of interest.

 

Consent for publication: The Authors send the signed Consent to Publish to the Publisher in order to grant permission for the Work to be published.

Ethics approval and consent to participate: The ethical guidelines outlined by the research committee with the code "IR.IAU.K.REC.1401.326" were adhered to for all research procedures involving human subjects. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration.

Financial disclosure: This research project did not receive financial support from any organization.

Author contributions: M.N.: Contributed to the conception of the work, revising the draft, approving the final version of the manuscript, and agreeing on all aspects of the work; M.N..: Contributed to the data analysis and interpretation, critical revision, and approval of the final version of the manuscript; M.N..: Contributed to acquiring data, drafting the manuscript, and approving the final version; M.A..: Contributed to the conception and design of the study, critical revision, and approval of the manuscript's final version; M.N..: Contributed to the conception and design of the study, data interpretation, drafting of the manuscript and critical revision, and approval of final version.

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Razavi International Journal of Medicine
Volume 13, Issue 1
special issue; Psychology in Health
March 2025
Pages 25-36

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