Zahra Ezabadi; Fatemeh Behjati Ardakani; Elahe Shirovi
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on social anxiety and academic self-concept of elementary school students with stuttering. The method in terms of purpose, was an application and information-gathering aspect, was a semi-experimental ...
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The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on social anxiety and academic self-concept of elementary school students with stuttering. The method in terms of purpose, was an application and information-gathering aspect, was a semi-experimental type of pre-test, and post-test with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all primary school students in Shiraz of which 30 were selected by available sampling. The research tool was the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (LSAS-SR) and the academic self-concept questionnaire was administered to both groups, and the experimental group underwent intervention for 10 one-hour sessions. The collected data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-24. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the average scores of the compared groups in social anxiety in the post-test, which indicates that the average scores of social anxiety in the experimental group (53.93) compared to the control group (57.06) has significantly decreased. Also, there is a significant difference between the average scores of the compared groups in the academic self-concept in the post-exam, which indicates that the average scores of the academic self-concept in the post-exam in the experimental group (47.66) compared to the control group (43.36) ) has increased significantly. Therefore, the hypothesis of the research based on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on social anxiety and academic self-concept of elementary school students with stuttering is confirmed.Keywords: Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, Social Anxiety, Academic Self-Concept, Stuttering. Extended AbstractIntroductionStuttering as a communication disorder can lead to serious problems in interpersonal relationships and affect the quality of a person's life. People with stuttering are prone to anxiety and anxiety disorders, especially social anxiety disorder. People with stuttering gradually use avoidance behaviors due to their bitter experiences of stuttering. These behaviors and fears cause refusal of social communication. Social anxiety in childhood and adolescence is associated with problems in cognitive and emotional dimensions and social adaptation. These children have not made much progress in school due to anxiety, they have weak social relationships and have less adaptability than their peers. Lack of academic success causes these students to become discouraged from studying and weaken their morale or drop out. Therefore, these children can have weak self-concepts. Academic self-concept is a form of self-concept that is formed as a result of mutual actions and learning experiences and academic progress, and this shows that academic self-concept is learnable and acquired. Cognitive-behavioral play therapy training leads to the reduction of students' anxiety, tension, shyness and social isolation and increases their health and psychological ability. Therefore, the present study was designed with the aim of determining the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on social anxiety and academic self-concept of elementary school students with stuttering.MethodologyThe current research was a semi-experimental study of pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The statistical population of this research was all elementary school students with stuttering referred to speech therapy centers in Shiraz. The study sample was 30 people from the mentioned statistical population who were selected purposefully and available based on the entry and exit criteria and were placed in two experimental and control groups. The data collection tools including the Leibovitz social anxiety scale questionnaire, and academic self-concept scale were implemented in both groups, and the experimental group underwent cognitive-behavioral play therapy intervention for 10 sessions of 60 minutes with the plan suggested by Rivier (2006). And it was placed in a group. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-24.ResultsTo check the presuppositions of covariance analysis, the results of the Shapiro-Wilk test showed that the data distribution is normal (p < 0.05), in order to check the homogeneity of the error variance of the research variable in the three groups, Levin's test was used, which level the significance of the F statistic was greater than 0.05, and in examining the slope of the regression line and the interaction between the groups and the pre-test of the variables, the results showed that the significance level of F is greater than the critical value of 0.05. The results of the covariance analysis and the table of averages show that the average scores of social anxiety in the post-test in the experimental group (53.93) compared to the control group (57.06) have decreased significantly. Also, the discriminant chi-square analysis indicates that cognitive-behavioral play therapy explains 37% of the variance of social anxiety in children with stuttering. Also, the results of the analysis of covariance showed that there is a significant difference between the average scores of the compared groups of academic self-concept in the post-test [P = 0.001, F = 13.25]. Examining the mean table shows that the mean scores of academic self-concept in the post-test in the experimental group (47.66) compared to the control group (43.26) have increased significantly. Also, the discriminant square root analysis indicates that cognitive-behavioral play therapy explains 32% of the variance of academic self-concept in children with stuttering.Discussion and ConclusionThe findings of the present study showed that cognitive-behavioral play therapy was effective on social anxiety and academic self-concept of elementary school students with stuttering. In cognitive-behavioral play therapy, the therapist accepts children's behavior unconditionally without surprising them, arguing with them, or pointing out the incorrectness of their work. During these games, the child understands the phenomena, understands the relationships and feels comfortable, and uses it as a tool to establish communication, exchange and test and master the external realities. In a way, it can be said that during this course of cognitive-behavioral play therapy in a safe environment, anxious children test the external reality without fear of evaluation. Academic self-concept is influenced by a person's educational experiences and the interpretation of the educational environment, and it expresses knowledge and perceptions in different academic fields. Stuttering can damage the student's perceptions, attitudes and beliefs about his ability. In cognitive-behavioral play therapy, encouragement is one of the main elements, encouragement helps the child to recognize which of his behaviors are approved by the therapist and which are not appropriate, and also helps the child to feel good about to earn.Ethical considerationsThis research is taken from the Master's thesis of Zahra Ezabadi, Department of General Psychology, Ardakan University, Yazd, code 2475187, dated 8/1/2018. Ethical considerations such as confidentiality, informed consent of the participants' parents and confidentiality of identity information have been fully observed in this study.AcknowledgmentsFrom all the officials of the speech therapy centers in Shiraz and the students of the sample group who cooperated in this research; thanks and appreciation is given.
shahrooz nemati; rahim badri; shahram vahedi; Mohammad Bardel
Abstract
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment program training on social anxiety and academic resilience of students with stuttering disorder. The research design was quasi-experimental with two experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the ...
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Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment program training on social anxiety and academic resilience of students with stuttering disorder. The research design was quasi-experimental with two experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the study included high school students with stuttering disorder in Khoy city. In this regard, a sample of 32 students were selected by available sampling method and divided into two groups of 16, experimental and control, to participate in the training of life-based experience program of acceptance and commitment (Bardel et al., 2022) were assigned. Academic resilience scales (Samuels, 2004) and social anxiety questionnaire (Conner et al., 2000) were used before and after the test to collect data. Acceptance and commitment training program was implemented in 8 intervention sessions for the experimental group. Analysis of covariance showed that the training program has significantly improved the acceptance and commitment of academic resilience and social anxiety of students with stuttering disorder. Acceptance and commitment-based therapy by teaching and improving effective strategies and techniques allows students to take a realistic view of their problem and overcome the severe consequences of their disorder. Therefore, the implementation of this program is recommended for individuals with stuttering disorders and other developmental disabilities.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
"Stuttering" is a communication disorder that disrupts the melodious and smooth flow of speech with repetition, involuntary stretching, pauses, or involuntary stuttering in sounds, syllables, and words (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). People with stuttering disorders often experience psychological problems such as social anxiety (Berchiati et al., 2023), low resilience (Bilby et al., 2022), low cognitive flexibility (Gillader et al., 2021) and perceptive speech problems (Bahrini and Thanagovi, 2022).
Children who stutter experience social anxiety, which can be a severe fear of situations in which one is in the company of others or has to do something in front of them (Berchiati et al., 2023). This fear may be a result of social anxiety disorder, a profound and pervasive fear of social situations (Gillader, Filksman, and Hooper, 2021). It's important to note that social anxiety disorder is different from shyness, which is a normal feeling of feeling uncomfortable in new or social situations (Gillader et al., 2021).
One of the main challenges faced by children with stuttering is having low resilience, which can make it difficult for them to overcome obstacles and challenges in both academic and social settings (Soluk, 2023). This issue seems to be particularly prevalent in the academic environment, where children with speech impairments tend to have lower academic resilience compared to their peers without speech impairments. Academic resilience is the capacity for one to achieve success in the face of various obstacles and challenges, and the concept has been researched extensively in the field of education (Sesher and Olash, 2023).
According to a review of the research related to speech disorders, multiple intervention methods such as drug therapy, cognitive-behavioral approach, speech therapy, and yoga can be effective in managing the psychological consequences of this disorder. One approach that appears promising is the acceptance and commitment approach, which encourages individuals to accept and embrace uncomfortable and anxiety-provoking feelings and thoughts. This approach can help individuals move away from trying to avoid these emotions and instead learn to accept and commit to their values despite their difficulties (Ising et al., 2022).
One treatment approach that has been proposed for children with stuttering disorder is the acceptance and commitment approach. This approach has become an area of interest for experts and is based on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a cognitive-behavioral approach that centers on fostering awareness and acceptance of difficult experiences and developing commitment to personal values and behaviors (Bergman & Keitel, 2023). Acceptance and commitment therapy is based on relational frame theory (Löhm et al., 2018) and functional contextualism (Hayes et al., 2017), which aim to help individuals learn to engage with their thoughts and emotions in ways that align with their personal values and goals. This approach can be especially useful for individuals who struggle with stuttering, as it can help them develop greater acceptance of their stuttering and develop skills to pursue their goals and values regardless of the challenges they face (Bourgi et al., 2022).
The proposed research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Acceptance and Commitment Training program on reducing social anxiety and increasing academic resilience in students with stuttering. The study is guided by evidence-based practices and seeks to explore the theoretical and practical implications of the Acceptance and Commitment Approach in the field of communication disorders. The main research question is: Is the Acceptance and Commitment Training effective in reducing social anxiety and improving academic resilience in students with stuttering?
Literature Review
The Studies have shown that individuals with stuttering disorders often have psychological problems such as social anxiety, low resilience, low cognitive flexibility, and challenges with perception of speech, which can impact their quality of life and overall well-being (Berchiati et al., 2023; Bilby et al., 2022; Gillader et al., 2021; Bahrini and Thanagovi, 2022).
In people with social anxiety disorder, their feelings of anxiety and worry are especially pronounced in social situations where they fear that they may behave in an embarrassing or socially unacceptable way. Furthermore, these symptoms can be so severe that they can lead to other debilitating conditions such as depression and addiction to drugs or alcohol (Yashar et al., 2023; Atelose et al., 2020).
Previous research has shown that people with stuttering often exhibit low flexibility and resilience. This can manifest in difficulty in adapting to new situations or dealing with challenges (Malich and Kauert, 2019; Martin and Marsh, 2017). In a recent study, Balkent and colleagues have explored the role of resilience in the experiences of persons with stuttering (Balkent et al., 2015). Therapy based on Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) encourages individuals to practice mindfulness and develop a non-judgmental awareness of their experiences, which ultimately enables them to act in the direction of their goals and values. Commitment to values is the key element of this approach.
Methodology
The current research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and a post-test. Participants were divided into an Experimental Group that received the Acceptance and Commitment Training program and a Control Group that received no intervention. The study took place in Shahr Khoi among male students with stuttering disorder. A sample of 32 participants was selected using available sampling techniques, and researchers verified the inclusion and exclusion criteria during a briefing meeting with relevant officials. Participants included only second-year male students with stuttering disorder who did not receive other psychological interventions and were willing to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were the presence of other physical or neurodevelopmental problems, or the absence of more than two sessions. Interventions were executed in the counseling center of the education management. After the study, pre-test and post-test measures were administered to both groups.
Conclusion
Analyses aimed at investigating the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment (A&C) education in increasing academic resilience showed significant results. When separating the components of academic resilience, the A&C program proved significantly effective in improving future orientation and communication skills, but had no significant effect on the central problem.
When considering the "why" of the findings, it is worth noting that resilience is a stable coping style and a dynamic process in which people show successful and positive adaptation despite the experience of trauma or distress (Dan Head and Fisher, 2023). Research studies suggest that Resilience is related to the level of acceptance and commitment demonstrated by a person. Resilient people are able to maintain commitment to their goals, which can increase motivational behavior and ultimately lead to achieve high levels of success (Berchitti et al., 2023).
The results of the analysis showed that the acceptance and commitment training program is effective in reducing the social anxiety of the studied groups. In separating the components of social anxiety, teaching acceptance and commitment is significantly effective on avoidance and physiological symptoms; but it has no significant effect on fear; therefore, the results of the current research indicate that the acceptance and commitment training program is effective in reducing social anxiety.
In explaining the finding that acceptance and commitment training did not have a significant effect on the fear component of students with stuttering disorder, it is important to consider that social anxiety in this group of students is not solely due to the fear of speaking. In fact, the lifelong condition of speech impairments despite the interventions made has created a belief in those with speech impairments that these conditions always exist and must simply be tolerated and adapted to. This adaptation in children has been associated with anxiety, which can lead to difficulties responding in different social situations (Hayes et al., 2013).
negar falamarzi; Diba Seif
Abstract
he purpose of this study was to predict social anxiety based on social support and social self-efficacy in physically-motorized disabled teens in Shiraz. Results showed that among the components of self-efficacy, self-efficacy for cognitive control (r = 0.41) and self-efficacy for control Emotional (r ...
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he purpose of this study was to predict social anxiety based on social support and social self-efficacy in physically-motorized disabled teens in Shiraz. Results showed that among the components of self-efficacy, self-efficacy for cognitive control (r = 0.41) and self-efficacy for control Emotional (r = -0.26) with a significant negative relationship with fear of negative evaluation. In addition, there was a significant relationship between social support components, emotional support / information (r = -0.24), and the support of kindness (r = -0.24) with general avoidance and distress. Among the components of social self-efficacy, self-efficacy for cognitive control (r = 0.32) and self-efficacy for emotional control (r = -0.36) is significantly correlated with avoidance and general grief. Also, there are no significant relationships between social support components with avoidance and distress in new situations. Also, among the components of self-efficacy, self-efficacy for cognitive control (r = 0.26) is significantly related to avoidance and grief in new situations. Regression results showed that among the components of social self-efficacy, only self-efficacy for cognitive control was significantly lowered by fear of negative evaluation (p <-0.401) and avoidance and general grief (p = 0.27) and anxiety and Predicts grief in new situations (p <0.01). Regarding the negative relationship between social support components and social anxiety, it is suggested that therapists and mental health professionals should pay more attention to the role of this variable in treatment interventions.
mehdi zareiee hoseini abadi; morteza omidian
Abstract
This study examined the effect of communicational skills training on social anxiety in boys adolescents with intellectual disability in Yazd. The current investigation was experimental method and design of this study was pretest-posttest with control group type and the population included boys with intellectual ...
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This study examined the effect of communicational skills training on social anxiety in boys adolescents with intellectual disability in Yazd. The current investigation was experimental method and design of this study was pretest-posttest with control group type and the population included boys with intellectual disability 11-20 years intellectual disability special schools in Yazd in the academic year 2014-2015. The sample of this study included 40 students that randomly selected and divided into experiment and control groups (20 persons in each group). The instruments used in this study was La Greca Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). The communicational skills training program including 12 sessions of 50 minutes was carried to the experimental group. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as covariance analysis was used for data analysis. The Results of this study showed that there is a significant difference between experiment and control groups among social anxiety and all its dimension (p<0/01). The obtained results of data analysis demonstrated that communicational skills training decreased social anxiety (58%) and its components [fear of negative evaluation; social avoidance and distress in new situations; and social avoidance and distress-general (59/30%)] in adolescents of experimental group in compare with control group. Therefore, the research suggests to emphasis on communicational skills training for student with intellectual disability.
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Abstract
This study examined the effect of communicational skills training on social anxiety in boys adolescents with intellectual disability in Yazd. The current investigation was Experimental method and design of this study was pretest-posttest with control group type and the population included boys with intellectual ...
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This study examined the effect of communicational skills training on social anxiety in boys adolescents with intellectual disability in Yazd. The current investigation was Experimental method and design of this study was pretest-posttest with control group type and the population included boys with intellectual disability 11-20 years intellectual disability special schools in Yazd in the academic year 2014-2015. The sample of this study included 40 students that randomly selected and divided into experiment and control groups (20 persons in each group). The instruments used in this study was La Greca Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). The communicational skills training program including 12 sessions of 50 minutes was carried to the experimental group. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as independent t-test and variance analysis was used for data analysis.The Results of this study showed that there is a significant difference between experiment and control groups among social anxiety and all its dimension (p<0/01). The obtained results of data analysis demonstrated that communicational skills training decreased social anxiety (58%) and its components [fear of negative evaluation; social avoidance and distress in new situations; and social avoidance and distress-general (59/30%)] in adolescents of experimental group in compare with control group. Therefore, the research suggests to emphasis on communicational skills training for student with intellectual disability.