The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Fear of Negative Evaluation and Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescents
Keywords:
Schema therapy, fear of negative evaluation, cognitive flexibility, adolescentsAbstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy on fear of negative evaluation and cognitive flexibility in adolescents. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest–posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of adolescents who referred to counseling centers in the city of Tehran in 2026. Using convenience sampling, 30 participants were selected as the sample and were randomly assigned into two groups: 15 participants in the experimental group and 15 participants in the control group. Data were collected using the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire and the Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire. Subsequently, the participants in the experimental group received schema therapy intervention for 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. After completion of the sessions, both groups were reassessed using the posttest. The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of fear of negative evaluation and cognitive flexibility in adolescents between the pretest and posttest stages in the experimental and control groups. Therefore, schema therapy was found to have a significant effect on fear of negative evaluation and cognitive flexibility in adolescents.
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