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Volume 25, Issue 159 (5-2026)
Journal of Psychological Science 2026, 25(159): 1-16 |
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Khoramifar S, Sepahundi M A, Mirdrikvand F. (2026). Comparison of the effectiveness of schema therapy, metacognition and interpersonal therapy on emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety at Kashmar Higher Education Center. Journal of Psychological Science. 25(159), : 8 doi:10.61186/jps.25.159.8
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3271-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3271-en.html
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, , Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. , sepahvandi.mo@lu.ac.ir
Abstract: (275 Views)
Background: Social anxiety in university students is associated with deficits in emotional expressiveness and interpersonal relationships, and psychotherapeutic interventions play an important role in improving these functions. Schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy can influence emotional expression through different cognitive, emotional, and relational pathways; however, they have mostly been examined separately. Therefore, a research gap exists regarding the comparative effectiveness of these three approaches on emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety, which the present study seeks to address.
Aims: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy on positive emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety at Kashmar Higher Education Center.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and a control group. The statistical population included all students with social anxiety at Kashmar Higher Education Center during the 2022–2023 academic year. Among students who exhibited symptoms of social anxiety and obtained scores above the cutoff point (6) on the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (Jerabek, 1996), 60 participants were randomly selected and randomly assigned to four groups. Initially, all four groups completed the Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (King & Emmons, 1990). The first experimental group received eight sessions of schema therapy (Gholamrezaei & Tehranchi, 2016), the second experimental group received eight sessions of interpersonal therapy (Oshii et al., 2015), and the third experimental group received eight sessions of metacognitive therapy (Wells, 2009). The control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, applying univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and post hoc comparison tests.
Results: The results indicated that all three therapeutic approaches had a significant effect on improving emotional expressiveness (p<0.05). Furthermore, Bonferroni post hoc tests showed that there were no significant differences among schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy in terms of their effectiveness in improving emotional expressiveness (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy can all be considered effective and applicable interventions in university counseling centers for improving emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety. The lack of significant differences in effectiveness suggests that clinicians can flexibly select and implement any of these approaches based on individual client characteristics, available resources, and client preferences. These results provide a practical foundation for the design of intervention and prevention programs in university settings.
Aims: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy on positive emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety at Kashmar Higher Education Center.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and a control group. The statistical population included all students with social anxiety at Kashmar Higher Education Center during the 2022–2023 academic year. Among students who exhibited symptoms of social anxiety and obtained scores above the cutoff point (6) on the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (Jerabek, 1996), 60 participants were randomly selected and randomly assigned to four groups. Initially, all four groups completed the Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (King & Emmons, 1990). The first experimental group received eight sessions of schema therapy (Gholamrezaei & Tehranchi, 2016), the second experimental group received eight sessions of interpersonal therapy (Oshii et al., 2015), and the third experimental group received eight sessions of metacognitive therapy (Wells, 2009). The control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, applying univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and post hoc comparison tests.
Results: The results indicated that all three therapeutic approaches had a significant effect on improving emotional expressiveness (p<0.05). Furthermore, Bonferroni post hoc tests showed that there were no significant differences among schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy in terms of their effectiveness in improving emotional expressiveness (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that schema therapy, metacognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy can all be considered effective and applicable interventions in university counseling centers for improving emotional expressiveness in students with symptoms of social anxiety. The lack of significant differences in effectiveness suggests that clinicians can flexibly select and implement any of these approaches based on individual client characteristics, available resources, and client preferences. These results provide a practical foundation for the design of intervention and prevention programs in university settings.
Article number: 8
Keywords: Schema therapy, interpersonal therapy, metacognitive therapy, emotional expressiveness, social anxiety
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/12/24 | Accepted: 2026/02/9 | Published: 2026/05/22
Received: 2025/12/24 | Accepted: 2026/02/9 | Published: 2026/05/22
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