A programme to promote internal resiliency among female adolescents: a cognitive-behavioural approach

[摘要] English: In acknowledgement of the identified hiatus in existing research and literature, this study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate a programme to promote internal resiliency among female adolescents by means of a cognitive-behavioural approach. In this research, the conceptualisation of resilience was guided by the Resilience Framework proposed by Kumpfer (1999), where the domain pertaining to personal and internal resiliency served as the selected focus area. The implementation strategy and mode of programme delivery were informed by the principles and techniques underlying a cognitive-behavioural approach. The unit of analysis comprised 100 female Grade 9 learners from an English-medium girls' school in Bloemfontein (Free State Province) with diverse learner demographics pertaining to socio-economic status and race. Following the implementation of the intervention, both the short- and long-term (three months) efficacy, value and integrity of the programme were assessed. Owing to the experimental nature of this research, the Solomon four-group research design (Solomon, 1949) and the accompanying analytical techniques suggested by Walton Braver and Braver (1988) were utilised to guide the statistical procedures. This was achieved by means of employing a three-dimensional assessment strategy, where the Resiliency Outcomes (Sense of Mastery, Sense of Relatedness and Emotional Reactivity), Cognitive-behavioural Outcomes (Self-downing, Need for Achievement, Need for Approval, Need for Comfort, Demands for Fairness and Other-downing), and quantitative and qualitative feedback from the Programme Evaluation Questionnaire were investigated. For this purpose, three measuring instruments were employed: (i) Resiliency Measure �?the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents: A profile of personal strengths (RSCA) (Prince-Embury, 2006, 2007); (ii) Cognitive-behavioural Measure �?the Shortened General Attitude and Belief Scale (SGABS) (Lindner, Kirkby, Wertheim, & Birch, 1999); and (iii) a Programme Evaluation Questionnaire. The formulated central and secondary research hypotheses were largely confirmed, as results on the Resiliency and the Cognitive-behavioural Measures indicated statistically significant positive effects for this resiliency programme in the short term as well as over a period of three months, irrespective of whether a pre-measure was administered or not. Quantitative and qualitative feedback obtained from the Programme Evaluation Questionnaire also signified positive results with regard to participants' perceptions of the structure of the programme as well as personal experiences and perceptions of skills learnt. Findings were interpreted against the backdrop of existing international and South African resilience literature and research. Results suggest that female adolescents' internal resiliency (improved Sense of Mastery and Sense of Relatedness, and reduced Emotional Reactivity), and cognitive processes (increased Rationality, and reduced Self-downing, Need for Achievement, Need for Approval, Need for Comfort, Demands for Fairness and Other-downing) can be promoted significantly through skills training and development. The potential theoretical and practical implications of the findings were presented, with specific consideration of the contextual nuances related to female adolescents from South Africa. The findings support the notion that individuals are able to learn personal and internal resiliency skills and competencies, and that resiliency might not be predetermined solely by genetics, or exclusively dependent on their environmental status in this process. Despite the significant effect observed for the resiliency programme in the short and long terms, an extended implementation period might serve to sustain the initial effect of the programme over a longer period than the current three months. Recommendations for future interdisciplinary resilience research were made, as well as for the advancement of studies on programme development, implementation and evaluation on this dynamic and multi-dimensional construct.

[发布机构] University of the Free State