Internatio nal Jo urnal o f Sc ientific & Eng ineering Researc h Vo lume 3, Issue 2, February -2012 1 ISSN 2229-5518 IJSER © 2012 http://www.ijser.org Studying the relation between control source with hypochondria and life satisfaction of parents having mental retarded children Faramarz Sabeghi, Hossein Jenaabadi Abstract— The study was done to investigate the relation between controlling w ith hypochondria and life satisfaction of parents having children with mental retardation. It is a correlative study. 200 sample parents (100 mothers and 100 fathers) were chosen using simple random sampling. This study includes three questionnaires: Ratter control scale (83% kranbakh alpha), Hypochondria (79% kranbakh alpha) and Taft’s life satisfaction scale (83% kranbakh alpha). Independent T test, correlation coefficient and regression an alysis were used to analyze data in this research. According to regression test, there is a significant negative correlation between control source and life satisfaction. But there is no significant relation between control source and hypochondria. Results also showed that there is no significant difference between parents with internal control source and those with external control source of hypochondria. Parents with internal control source are more satisfied in life than those w ith external control source. Results also showed that life satisfaction has a direct relation w ith hypochondria and fathers are more satisfied in life than mothers. Index Terms— control source, hypochondria, life satisfaction, mental retardation. ——————————  —————————— 1 INTRODUCTION ENTAL retardation or failure of mental powers is not a hot topic. In each period, there are people in societies who do not have natural mind. Different statistics show that children with IQ lower than 70 i.e. mental retarded ones in- clude 1-2% of population in countries (Milani, 2001). One im- portant thing in mental retarded people is their mental prob- lems whether they or their family and relatives are mental retarded. Observation of psychologists and physicians shows that mental retarded child brings about problems in the family particularly if other family children have natural IQ or even higher then natural. Parents’ reactions to their mental retarded children are not the same. Mental retardation degree, psychol- ogist and psychiatrist advices, social and economical status and parents’ personality are different. Of the commonest reac- tions of parents having mental retarded children are guilty feeling, failure, nervousness and concern (Milani, 2001). Stud- ying the relation between control source and hypochondria and life satisfaction is one of issues that should be studied to help parents having mental retarded children and it plays a vital role in decreasing parents’ problems. Control source is one of topics related to document theory in which it is as- sumed to seek understanding the affairs and events causes (Seif, 2001). Control place is important in control source. Con- trol place was first developed by Ann Julian Ratter (1996). It has been formulated for individual beliefs in source. It is as- sumed in the theory that people are divided into two groups regarding belief in control place. One group attributes their success and failure to themselves and the other attributes them to external factors. The former is called people with internal control source and the latter is external control source (Seif, 2001). In a study done by Kosari (2001), the effect of control source on individual and social adaptation of high school stu- dents was investigated and concluded that in general control source relates to adaptation. It shows that internal control source can be a factor for controlling events and increasing individual adaptation in order to be more satisfied in personal and social life. Frasat (2004) studied and compared control source and marital satisfaction among employed women and housewives. Results show that there is a significant difference between control source of employed women and housewives and housewives have more external control source than em- ployed women. Results also showed that housewives are more satisfied in their life. A research done by Ratter show that people with internal control source is mentally and physically healthier than those with external control source. They re- ceived better grades in school and they believe to have more rights for choosing and they are socially more famous and skillful and have higher self esteem (Seif, 2001). Another prob- lem that parents of mental retarded children face with is hy- pochondria. Hypochondriac people are very concerned about their health. This disease increases by age rising and occurs in women, the olds and middle aged people more than others (Shamloo, 2003). A hypochondrium has psychosomatic symp- toms although the missed physical actions are not destroyed. Most of studies show that hypochondria will be formed based on matching with parents, sisters and brothers who are sick. All authors agreed with the role that parents play in this re- gard. According to Conner studies, in 53% of cases, parents of the child have hypochondria (Dadsetan, 1967 cited from attor- ney 1379). Identifying life satisfaction and the factors that in- crease or decrease it are also important. Compel defined life satisfaction as the difference between what person want and what it is. According to multiple contradiction theory of Alex Michalos, life satisfaction has been identified by perception of M ———— ——— ——— ——— ———  Faculty Member Department Education University of Sistan and Balu- chestan, Zahedan, Iran.  Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.