Predicting Interpersonal Sensitivity Based on Believability of Anxious feelings and Thoughts: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility

The present research investigates the structural relationship between interpersonal sensitivity based on the believability of thoughts mediated by the role of cognitive flexibility. The statistical population consists of employees at the Broadcasting Service in the City of Tehran in the year 2021-2022 who totaled 278 people selected via random cluster sampling method who answered  Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts- (BAFT) (Herzberg et al., 2012), Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure -(IPSM) (Boyce & Parker, 1989) and Cognitive Flexibility Inventory-(CFI) (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2012) questionnaires. The data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method via Spss 22 and Lisrel 8/8 software. An acceptable fit of the data with the modified model was shown by the Fit indicator. Data analysis suggested that there was a negative significant relationship between cognitive flexibility and believability of thoughts and interpersonal sensitivity (p<0.01). A positive meaningful relationship was also noted between the believability of thoughts and interpersonal sensitivity. The Sobel Test results indicated that the variable of cognitive flexibility mediated the believability of thoughts and interpersonal sensitivity (p<0.01). The results also concluded that believability of thoughts and anxious feelings not only had predictive effects but also had indirect predictive effects on employees’ interpersonal sensitivity through cognitive flexibility (p<0.01). From the research findings, the result of the credibility of thoughts and cognitive flexibility can play an essential role in predicting the interpersonal sensitivity of employees.