Investigating the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Intelligence Beliefs and Cognitive Flexibility in Students with Math Anxiety

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Educational Sciences. Faculty of Humanities . Tarbiat Modares University of Tehran.

2 Department of Psychology. Faculty of Humanities. Shahed University of Tehran. Iran

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral group therapy on intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility among male elementary school students with mathematics anxiety in Ardabil, Iran.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population comprised all male elementary school students in Ardabil during the 2024–2025 academic year (Iranian calendar year 1403–1404). A sample of 40 students was selected through multistage cluster sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 45-minute sessions of cognitive–behavioral group therapy. Data were collected using Dweck’s Intelligence Beliefs Scale (2000), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
Results: The results indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in posttest scores for intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility. The findings demonstrated that cognitive–behavioral group therapy significantly improved students’ intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility. These improvements may contribute to the reduction of mathematics anxiety among students.
Conclusion: Cognitive–behavioral group therapy has a significant positive effect on improving cognitive flexibility and strengthening adaptive intelligence beliefs among male elementary school students. Therefore, this intervention can be considered a potentially useful approach for reducing mathematics anxiety and promoting students’ adaptive cognitive functioning.

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