Comparison of the Effectiveness of Responsible Adolescent Psychoeducational Training and Narrative Therapy on Self-Regulation and Family Affection in Adolescents
Keywords:
responsible adolescent, self-regulation, narrative therapy, family affectionAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Responsible Adolescent Psychoeducational Training Package and Narrative Therapy on self-regulation and family affection among male adolescents.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental research employed a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population included high school boys in Isfahan, Iran, from which 60 students were selected via purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups (two intervention groups and one control group). The Responsible Adolescent group received an eight-session training focused on behavioral responsibility, adaptive thinking, planning, self-control, and social empathy. The Narrative Therapy group underwent eight sessions based on poststructuralist therapeutic principles, including externalization, re-authoring, and preferred narrative construction. The control group remained on a waitlist. All participants were assessed at three time points using the Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory and the Family Affection Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests after checking assumptions.
Findings: The results indicated significant improvements in both self-regulation and family affection for the intervention groups compared to the control group across posttest and follow-up phases (p < .001). Although both intervention methods were effective, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two experimental groups. Time and group × time interaction effects were significant for both variables, with large effect sizes (η² ranging from .24 to .76), indicating that changes were both statistically and practically meaningful.
Conclusion: Both narrative therapy and responsible adolescent psychoeducation are effective interventions for enhancing self-regulation and family affection in adolescents. Given their comparable efficacy, implementation may be based on context, accessibility, and practitioner training. These findings support the use of integrative and developmentally sensitive approaches in adolescent intervention programs.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hamidreza Mirzakhnaloo (Author); Zahra Yousefi (Corresponding Author); Gholamreza Manshaee (Author)
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