Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Emotional Processing Difficulties and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Shy Students
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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CBT in improving emotional processing and reducing fear of negative evaluation in students with shyness. Methods:
Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group and follow-up phase was employed. The study involved 30 undergraduate students exhibiting shyness from the Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, during the first semester of the 2023-24 academic year. Participants were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Emotional processing was assessed using the Emotional Processing Scale (Baker), and fear of negative evaluation was measured using the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire (Watson). The experimental group received nine 60-minute group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Following the intervention, both groups underwent the same assessments. Data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and Univariate Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with SPSS version 25.
Findings: Results indicated that CBT significantly improved emotional processing (P<0.001) and reduced fear of negative evaluation (P<0.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: CBT was found to be an effective intervention for enhancing emotional processing and reducing fear of negative evaluation in students with shyness. This suggests that CBT can be a valuable therapeutic approach for addressing psychological challenges associated with shyness.
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