Investigating the effect of cognitive-behavioral educational intervention on the development of female teenagers’ social skills in Khomeini Shahr

BACKGROUND: Social skills are necessary for teenagers to have good interactions, accept roles, and adapt to conditions in the community. The present study investigated the effect of cognitive-behavioral educational intervention on students' social skills. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental study was completed on 102 female students in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan. Fifty-seven students participated in the online cognitive-behavioral educational program of social skills for five sessions, and 57 students were assigned to the control group. The data from the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (for subjects aged 4–18 years old) were collected before and 1 month after the interventional program. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25, independent t-test, Mann–Whitney test, and Chi-squared test. RESULTS: The independent t-test showed that before the intervention, the total mean score of social skills and its variables were not significantly different between the intervention and control groups (P > 0.05). However, after the intervention, the total mean score of social skills and the variables of appropriate communication skills, relationship with peers, and impulsive behaviors in the intervention group was significantly more than the control group, but the mean scores of antisocial and arrogant behaviors (haughtiness) were not significantly different between the two times in the intervention and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that participation in educational intervention significantly increased student's social skills development; it is suggested to incorporate cognitive-behavioral intervention in educational programs for adolescents.