The Efficacy of Group-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Cognitive Flexibility and Self-Esteem in Women Who Have Experienced the Trauma of Infidelity

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy on cognitive flexibility and self-esteem among women who had experienced the trauma of infidelity. The research method was experimental, and the design was quasi-experimental, utilizing pre- and post-test with a control group. In 2017, the statistical population included women in Tehran, Iran who had experienced the trauma of infidelity and sought help from counseling centers and family courts. On the basis of the study’s criteria, thirty couples were selected using a method of purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15). The experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy, while the control group received no training. The Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI; Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) were administered to all participants. SPSS 22 software was used to conduct a multivariate analysis of covariance on the data. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) results indicated that group-based acceptance and commitment therapy significantly increased the average post-test scores of self-esteem and cognitive flexibility in the experimental group (p<0.05). Based on the findings, family counselors and therapists can use acceptance and commitment therapy to enhance self-esteem and cognitive flexibility in women who have experienced the trauma of infidelity.

Keywords

• acceptance
• cognitive flexibility
• commitment
• infidelity
• self-esteem