Effect of rational emotive behaviour therapy on academic procrastination self esteem and academic anxiety of secondary school students

Abstract

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in the present study is an educational psychotherapy used to teach the individuals in groups on how to change their dysfunctional thinking, emotions and behaviors into healthy ones. The pretest posttest control group design was used in the study. Two private schools were selected randomly from district Amritsar, (Punjab). Total 60 subjects were identified whose academic procrastination tendency was moderate and high on the basis of academic procrastination scale. They were randomly divided into two groups i.e. experimental group and control group. 30 subjects were included in each group. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant effect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on academic procrastination, self-esteem and academic anxiety of students. Results of the study also showed that there was a significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores of secondary school students of experimental group. The significant difference was observed for all the study variables in experimental group at post testing stage. It has been found that procrastination behavior and academic anxiety of the secondary school students who contributed to group practices using Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy lessened substantially and self esteem of the students enhanced when compared to control group who did not take part in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. For experimental group posttest was compared with delayed posttest for each dependent variable i.e. Academic procrastination, Academic Anxiety, Self Esteem which showed minimal difference, indicates that the intervention was effective even after the gap period and impact of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy was long lasting. Thus REBT was proved to be effective in improving the level of Academic Procrastination, Self Esteem and Academic Anxiety.