Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Psychology (Ph.D.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Raymond DiGiuseppe

Second Advisor

Mark Terjesen

Third Advisor

Tamara Del Vecchio

Abstract

Society today has vastly integrated technology into every industry, and this is no different for psychotherapy and education. Increasing research supports utilizing technology to deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. Specifically, current literature supports the use of CBT for students experiencing anger regulation difficulties delivered within the school setting. However, no study has a school-based CBT program for children with anger-related problems delivered via the SMART Board technological platform. Interactive SMART Boards are a technological platform that students of the 21st century are highly familiar with as it has increasingly replaced the traditional black chalkboard in classrooms. As early anger regulation difficulties in children can lead to adverse long-term outcomes, it is essential that early prevention programs are not only accessible to children but also engaging and effective in improving anger control. This present study aimed to bridge the gap in the literature by investigating a technologically delivered cognitive behavioral social and emotional learning program (SEL) for children exhibiting anger-related problems within the school setting. The current study examined the efficacy of On Second Thought: From Iffy to Witty Thoughts (OST), an 8-week cognitive-behavioral social-emotional program, delivered via SMART Board technology in a school classroom with youth exhibiting difficulties regulating their anger. Four children, ages 8 to 10 years old, participated in the entirety of the intervention, which was delivered by the principal investigator and another graduate student. It was hypothesized that participants would demonstrate statistically significant reductions in their symptoms of anger, negative self-statements, irrational thoughts, and behavioral and emotional problems by the end of the intervention. They would maintain their gains one month after they participated in the study. The results indicated that all four participants showed a statistically significant reduction in their anger symptoms from pre- to post-intervention. Additionally, three of the four participants maintained their reduction in anger symptoms from baseline to four-week follow-up. The other outcomes showed promising but mixed results regarding negative self-statements, irrational thoughts, and behavioral and emotional problems. Limitations of the current investigation and directions for future research are presented, as are considerations for the practice of school psychology.

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