Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory

Abstract The aim of the present study was to examine the role of executive functions in predicting rational decision-making among adolescents, with the mediating role of moral judgment. Rational decision-making, as one of the key functions of cognitive development during adolescence, plays a fundamental role in individual, social, and academic adjustment. Given that adolescence is accompanied by extensive biological, cognitive, and emotional changes, understanding the underlying factors influencing rational decision-making is of particular importance.

The present study employed a quantitative, correlational research design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of first-grade secondary school students in Yazd during the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom a cluster-random sample was selected. Research instruments included the General Decision-Making Styles Questionnaire (GDMS), the Cognitive Functions Questionnaire (Nejati), and Rest’s Moral Judgment Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using AMOS-24 software.

The findings indicated that executive functions directly predicted rational decision-making (β = 0.17, p < 0.05). Moreover, moral judgment played a mediating role in this relationship (β = 0.308, p < 0.002). In other words, adolescents with higher executive functioning also demonstrated better moral judgment, which in turn enhanced the quality of their rational decision-making. The results highlight the importance of integrating cognitive and moral processes and can provide a foundation for designing educational and counseling interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ decision-making skills.

Abstract Wisdom can be understandd as a psychological competence in facing difficult and ambiguous or unsolvable problems of life and helps people endure or cope with complex and uncertain life conditions in the future. Also, wisdom is based on experience. Experience in itself is not necessarily effective, but lessons learned from successes and failures that people gain are helpful. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of the educational package of wisdom and self-compassion and psychological well-being in students. Also, this research is semi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was all undergraduate students of psychology at Azad University, Rodehen branch, in the academic year of 2021-2022 Among them, 45 students have been randomly replaced in control and experimental groups. The research tool included Nef self-compassion questionnaire and Rif psychological well-being. For this purpose, the educational package of wisdom was first designed and compiled based on the theoretical foundations and also the existing packages according to the target group and was approved by the experts. Then, from both control and experimental groups, in a pre-test session, including the implementation of research tools, the students of the experimental group were taught wisdom training package during 8 90-minute sessions, 2 sessions per week And finally, after the completion of the training sessions, a post-test was taken from both groups. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance test in SPSS26 software.