Examining the Effectiveness of Emotional Self-Regulation Skills on Cognitive Flexibility and Working Memory of Students

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of emotional self-regulation skills training on cognitive flexibility and working memory among ninth-grade students in Jajrom.

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with control and experimental groups. The statistical population comprised all ninth-grade students in Jajrom during the 2022-2023 academic year. A total of 60 students were selected through cluster sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which received emotional self-regulation skills training, or the control group, which did not receive any intervention. Data were collected using the Daneman and Carpenter (1980) Working Memory Test and the Dennis and Vander Wal (2010) Cognitive Flexibility Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA).

Findings: The results indicated that the experimental group showed significant improvements in emotional self-regulation skills, cognitive flexibility, and working memory from pre-test to post-test and follow-up stages. Specifically, the mean scores for emotional self-regulation skills increased from 74.7 to 99.4, cognitive flexibility from 69.3 to 79.1, and working memory from 57.6 to 80.2. In contrast, the control group did not exhibit any significant changes in these measures.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that emotional self-regulation skills training significantly enhances cognitive flexibility and working memory among ninth-grade students. These improvements indicate that such training can be a valuable intervention to boost psychological flexibility and academic performance. The results align with previous studies, supporting the effectiveness of emotional self-regulation training in educational settings.