Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychotherapeutic Therapy on Executive Functions of Children Aged 7 To 12 Years

Abstract

Background: A review of research in the field of children shows that with the expansion and deepening of studies on children. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and psychotherapeutic therapy on executive functions in children aged 7 to 12 years. Materials & Methods: The research method is quasi-experimental (quasi-experimental) studies with pre-test, post-test and follow-up with the control group. The sample group was available among 24 children who were registered at the Ava Mehr Pasargad Counseling Center to diagnose the symptoms of externalized disorder and met the necessary criteria to participate in the study, 24 people were randomly selected. They were divided into two experimental (n=8) groups and one control group (n=8). Cognitive-behavioral (11 sessions, two sessions every week, two hours) and psychotherapeutic therapy (12session, two sessions every week, two hours) were performed for the experimental groups, but the control group did not receive any special intervention. The executive functions (Stroop word color test, and working memory reinforcement test) completed by participants. Data were analyzed using Spss software version 22.0. Results: The cognitive-behavioral group therapy technique was successful on the memory test and the mean and standard deviation in the post-test were more effective than the (15.09±52.12) pre-test. For the memory test, the psychotherapeutic group had the lowest mean and standard deviation of (16.42 ±35.75). So it can be concluded that psychotherapeutic therapywas more effectiveness than cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention on improving children's executive functions (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychotherapeutic therapy were useful in improving externalized disorders and executive functions of children with externalized disorders in 7 to 12-year-old children in Pasargad.