Effectiveness cognitive emotion regulation strategies to reduce social anxiety and improve social self-efficacy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a training program based on cognitive emotion regulation strategies to reduce social anxiety and improve social self-efficacy among Hashemite University students. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study sample comprised 57 students randomly divided into two groups: The experimental group consisted of 28 students, and the control group consisted of 29 students. The experimental group was exposed to the training program consisting of 18 sessions, while the control group did not receive any experimental treatment. The students in both experimental and control groups completed the social anxiety scale and social self-efficacy scales before and after the training program. RESULTS: The study found differences in the mean score of the experimental group on the post-test of the social anxiety level in favor of the experimental group and in the mean score of the experimental group on the post-test of the social self-efficacy scale in favor of the experimental group. CONCLUSION: The training program based on cognitive emotion regulation strategies is very effective in reducing the social anxiety and improving social self-efficacy.

Keywords

• cognitive emotion regulation strategies
• social anxiety
• social self-efficacy
• training program
• university student