Effectiveness of anger management group training based on cognitive restructuring in increasing social intimacy and reducing deterministic thinking among students in Shiraz

School Counseling Master's Thesis

Abstract:

     In line with the necessity of teaching "emotional management" skills, the current research under the title, the effectiveness of anger management group counseling, based on cognitive restructuring, on increasing social intimacy and reducing deterministic thinking among male high school students in Shiraz city was conducted. The study method was semi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. To carry out this investigation, the Spielberger questionnaire was implemented as a survey tool on 112 high school students. The people who got the highest scores based on this test were defined as the target group and 20 people were selected from among them and randomly replaced in two control and experimental groups. Next, the anger management training package was taught to the experimental group based on the cognitive-behavioral approach and in 12 90-minute sessions. In addition to Spielberger's 57-question questionnaire (Staxi-2), the 17-question Social Intimacy Questionnaire (MSI) and the 36-question Deterministic Thinking Questionnaire were administered to two groups before and after the sessions. Mean, variance and standard deviation were used to describe the data. Covariance was used to analyze the data. The results showed that 1) anger group counseling based on cognitive restructuring does not increase students' social intimacy. 2) Anger group counseling based on cognitive restructuring reduces the deterministic thinking of students.

Key words: group counseling, anger management, cognitive restructuring, social intimacy, deterministic thinking.

Violence and aggression, in different levels and aspects, is a big and global problem and the root of many crimes, deviations and even wars should be sought in this matter. At a glance, the cause of moral degeneration and spiritual silence of many people, groups and societies is violence and aggression, and war, murder, destruction, conflict and assault are clear examples of this behavior. During the last several decades, violence and aggression have increased. Some researchers consider the increase in poverty to be the main reason for the increase in the statistics of aggressive and violent behaviors. Another group points to the huge role of mass media. According to these researchers, mass media and especially television are an important factor in increasing violent behavior. But the most complete perspective on aggression points to the influence of biological, learning and cognitive factors. This method is a combination therapy, which typically combines exposure with cognitive restructuring. In fact, it changes the cognitive rules that cause behavioral disturbances (Saduk [1] and Saduk, 2005). From this point of view, behavioral aggression is not considered unchangeable and we can face the correction of irrational cognitive thoughts and beliefs and the training of appropriate behavioral skills such as self-control skills, self-expression, de-stressing and problem-solving, wrong aggressive response styles. Leading cognitive-behavioral therapists are Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, both of whom have writings specifically focused on anger. They believe that angry feelings are inextricably linked to angry thoughts. Therefore, the focus should be on the client's ability to control and change his behavior (Nelson [2], 2004). Sometimes ideological and political prejudices also lead to aggression in some teenagers. Some teenagers may try to satisfy hedonism and lust seeking due to their parents' lack of control over their behavior and actions and use aggression to achieve their goals (Abolmaali, Musazadeh, 2013).

Anger is activated in the environment around us, it commands us to pay attention and be aware of potential dangers, it activates our internal system, it gives us strength and direction, and on the other hand, it causes anxiety and It is a shame; In response to stressful situations, its expression often brings relief from tension. The positive function and benefits of anger in daring and reacting to injustices are undeniable. Despite this, the potential power of anger in destroying and causing personal and social damage is very high. Uninhibited anger is a feature of many physical and mental disorders. The effects of weakness and deficiency in anger management go beyond individual discomfort in destroying interpersonal relationships and lead to disruption of public health, incompatibility and harmful consequences of aggressive behavior. If this powerful emotion is not controlled properly, it can prevent all-round success and severely threaten the optimal functioning of society (Tiller [3] and Nwako [4], 2005).

     Anger is one of the natural human emotions and has a special place in the emotional components. Despite this, considering the negative and destructive personal and social effects of anger, anger control[5] is of great importance. The goal of treatment and control of anger interventions is to reduce emotional feelings and physiological arousal caused by anger, to increase people's awareness of anger and to teach effective methods and strategies to control it (American Psychological Association [6], 2004).

Nwako believes that aggressive children and adolescents have problems in matching multiple goals, evaluate responses inappropriately, and feel that implementing aggressive behavior is effective. They evaluate aggressive responses as favorable and consider them ethical. In explaining anger, Nwako focuses on environmental and cognitive components, that is, psychological and behavioral (movement). In Nwako's model, the process of cognitive confirmations is very important, and environmental events alone do not provoke anger, but they only provoke anger when they are received by the cognitive apparatus and pass through the filter of this apparatus. In fact, the three units of cognition, behavior, and emotion and their internal connections play a role in the arousal of anger. (McGuire [7], 2006, quoted by Abol-Maali and Musa Zadeh, 2013). The social cognitive approach to aggression is rooted in studies that consider the characteristics and development of aggression as a reflection of cognitive development. The ability of children to understand the different activities of the social world, to understand the causes and intentions of others, and to accept moral knowledge is dependent on social knowledge (Kelti Kangas-Jarvinen, 2005, based on Nafl by Abul Maali, 2019). Also, schemas as a social-cognitive structure are very important in choosing responses, including aggressive responses. A schema may be conceptualized as a structured framework of knowledge stored in long-term memory. Schema includes related information and knowledge that are derived from previous experiences and learning (Abolmaali, Musa Zadeh, 2013). "Cognitive reconstruction training [8]" is one of the methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy in which illogical beliefs, spontaneous thoughts, false generalizations and cognitive distortions are introduced to the individual and are examined and evaluated (Katibai et al., 2019).

Intimacy is one of the important characteristics of interpersonal relationships in early adulthood. Erikson considered the tasks of intimacy as a key factor in the transition from adolescence to adulthood (Danshorpour et al., 2006). According to Burke's belief, intimacy is seen in close interpersonal relationships, such as relationships with parents, close friends, and spouses (Danshorpour, 2015). In addition, one of the signs of having the ability to be intimate is the desire to participate in close, warm, communicative [9] and committed interactions, which plays an essential role in the successful and productive life of an adult (Danshorpour et al., 2016). Communication skills are acquired situation-specific skills that help people maximize the more favorable outcomes of interpersonal relationships and reduce the unfavorable outcomes and achieve their goals. People have cognitive control over their communication skills, that is, in order to use them, they use thought processes and control and schedule their communication and use these skills in a timely and appropriate manner (Abolmaali, Musa Zadeh, 2013). In the definition of communication skills, the development of social-cognitive indicators (empathy, role-playing, pro-social behaviors and interpersonal problem-solving skills), verbal and non-verbal skills are emphasized (Abolmaali, 2018). In fact, one of the main reasons for people to act aggressively is their lack of basic communication skills. Aggressive people often do not know how to communicate effectively and do not use appropriate methods to express themselves. Their inability to perform simple tasks such as requesting, negotiating, and complaining often causes discomfort to friends, acquaintances, and other dependents. These severe social defects make the person feel repeatedly frustrated and become angry and aggressive towards those with whom they have a direct relationship. One of the ways to reduce aggressive and violent behavior is to teach them social skills (Kaplan, translated by Porafkari, 2019).