The effectiveness of drama therapy on aggression and adjustment in adolescent female students

Abstract

Background and Aim: Adolescence is the subject of many researches in behavioral sciences due to its evolutionary importance. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of drama therapy on aggression and adjustment in adolescent female students. Method: The current research was of an experimental type with a pre-test, post-test, follow-up plan with a control group. The statistical population of the research consisted of all secondary school girls in Tehran in the academic year 2017-18. 40 people from the community were selected by multi-stage and purposeful cluster sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. In both groups, students' aggression and adaptability were evaluated through Bass and Perry's aggression questionnaire (1992) and Sinha and Singh's (1993) adaptability questionnaire. The first group received drama therapy based on the method proposed by Lawton (2009) in 10 sessions, but the second group did not receive any intervention. Then Again, in the post-test and two months later in the follow-up phase, the aggression and adaptation of both groups were evaluated. The data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis. Results: The results of the research showed that play therapy on aggression (F = 944.19, P<0.001) and adaptability (F=91.56, P<0.001) were effective in adolescent female students. Also, play therapy in both post-test and follow-up stages had an effect on students' aggression and adaptability; and this effect continued until the follow-up period. Conclusion: Considering that adolescence itself is associated with incompatibility and behavioral abnormalities including aggression, it is possible to use the drama therapy method in order to prevent aggression and create adaptation.