Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor / University of Tehran
2 University of Tehran
3 Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Psychology, University of Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Executive functions encompass a broad set of processes related to the regulation and management of cognitive, emotional, and biological activities, playing a crucial role in overall behavioral control. The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on the key components of executive functions in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The research utilized a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures, along with a control group. A total of 22 boys aged 7 to 12 with ADHD participated in the study, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent ten sessions of cognitive-behavioral play therapy, each lasting 45 minutes, while the control group received no intervention. Initially, each group consisted of 11 participants; however, after applying exclusion criteria, two participants were removed, leaving 10 individuals in both groups by the study's conclusion. To assess the impact of the therapy, IVA2 software was used to evaluate response inhibition and sustained attention, while the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test software measured cognitive flexibility. Results from both MANCOA and ANCOA statistical analyses, along with the higher post-test scores observed in the experimental group, demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral play therapy significantly improved sustained attention, response inhibition, and cognitive flexibility in children with ADHD. This form of therapy enhances cognitive flexibility by guiding children in management skills and adapting their problem-solving strategies. It also aids in improving Sustained attention through structured, purpose-driven activities. This intervention helps children with ADHD gain better control over their behaviors and build positive habits.
Keywords
- Cognitive-behavioral play therapy
- sustained attention
- response inhibition
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Main Subjects
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