The interaction of teachers' neurocognitive and emotional functions: The relationship between cognitive flexibility and alexithymia with discrimination in the workplace

Introduction: Perceived discrimination by teachers may impair the effective regulation of emotional and cognitive factors, such as alexithymia and cognitive flexibility. Aim: The present study explores the potential for predicting perceived discrimination among female teachers by simultaneously examining cognitive flexibility and alexithymia. Method: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted on a statistical population comprising female teachers in Mashhad in 2023. A total of 120 participants were selected through random sampling from among those who responded to the study invitation. Data were collected using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (2010), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (1994), and the Pascoe and Richman Scale (2009). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression in SPSS version 26. Results: Discrimination in the workplace has a significant negative relationship with cognitive flexibility and a significant positive relationship with alexithymia (P<0.001). Also, cognitive flexibility and alexithymia explain 57% of the total variance of discrimination in the workplace. Conclusion: According to the findings, providing psychological training and services to teachers is essential to effectively deal with discrimination in the workplace and to improve their capabilities in relation to components such as alexithymia and cognitive flexibility. It is suggested that developing training courses on how to deal with discrimination and providing interventions to improve psychological functions such as cognitive flexibility and alexithymia should be prioritized in the programs of the education institutions.