Eight therapy sessions on unhelpful beliefs helped sixth-grade girls put off schoolwork less
Who it’s about: Children, Students
- Helped
Girls who had eight sessions on spotting and fighting bad beliefs put off schoolwork less than girls who got nothing.
Small randomised trial of 30 sixth-grade girls in Iran · vs girls who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show
The study
Who took part
30 sixth-grade girls from ten schools in Dezful, Iran, who scored highest for putting off schoolwork. There were 15 in each group.
What they did
One group had eight 50-minute sessions of schema therapy. The girls learned to spot and challenge deep unhelpful beliefs about themselves. They used cards, imagined scenes, role play and practice in real life. The other group got nothing.
What happened
The therapy group rated themselves as putting off schoolwork less at the end and one month later. The other group did not change. The paper's numbers don't agree: the text says the results were much stronger than its tables show. At one month, the tables show the difference was only just clear.
Source
The effect of schema therapy on academic procrastination in elementary sixth grade students (2018)
DOI: 10.15406/jpcpy.2018.09.00608 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Action5
Challenge unhelpful thoughtsCognitive restructuring of beliefs such as perfectionism or catastrophising.
Action4
Learn how the problem worksPsychoeducation about procrastination, habits, sleep, routines or ADHD.
