The Effect of Training Choice Theory Principles and Training ACT Principles on Self-differentiation in High School Students

Subject Areas : Psychology

Golnar Sadeghnia ¹ , Mohammad Reza Zarbakhsh Bahri ² , Shohreh Ghorban Shiroudi ³

1 - Psychology Department, IAU, Tonekabon Branch, Tonekabon, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Psychology Department, IAU, Tonekabon Branch, Tonekabon, Iran.
3 - Associate Professor, Psychology Department, IAU, Tonekabon Branch, Tonekabon, Iran.

Received: 2020-10-03 Accepted : 2021-02-28 Published : 2023-02-20

Keywords: acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) principles, high school students, choice theory, self-differentiation,

Abstract :

This study aimed to compare the effect of training choice theory principles and training ACT principles on self-differentiation in high school students. The method was experimental with pre-test, post-test with control group and follow-up. The statistical population consisted all high school students in Rasht in academic year of 2019-2018. After assessing, 45 students who had self-differentiation below the cut-point were chosen and then randomly divided into three groups of 15, two intervention groups and a control group. For the first intervention group, the choice theory and for the second group ACT principals were taught in 8 sessions and the control group did not receive any training. After 3 month groups had follow-up. To determine the effect of the intervention program, a pre-test, post-test and follow-up were conducted using the Skowron & Schmitt (2003) Self-differentiation Test. Data were analyzed using multivariate covariance (MANCOVA) analysis. The findings showed that intervention groups were significantly different in the post-test, compared to the control group in self-differentiation. The rate of self-differentiation increase after intervention and the size of this increase was higher in the choice theory group. The result showed that choice theory training has greater effect than ACT training on increasing self-differentiation.

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