Effect of Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) on Reduction of Restive Behaviour among Enrolled in Counselling, Psychology and Sociology Education (CPSE)

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of rational emotive behavioural therapy (REBT) on reduction of restive behaviour among undergraduate students. The need for the study came as a result of the increasing rate of restive behaviour of undergraduate students to which the researchers sought to find solutions. Pre-test-post-test randomized control trial experimental design was adopted by the researchers for the study. Sixty-four (54) counselling, psychology, and sociology education undergraduate students who were drawn through proportionate stratified random sampling technique constituted the sample for the study. The students were randomly assigned to experimental (29) and control (25) groups. Restive Assessment Scale for Students (RASS) and Reducing Restive Behaviour Scale (RRBS) were used for data collection. RASS and RRBS were properly validated by experts in test development and the internal consistency reliability indices of the items were estimated as 0.79 and 0.81 respectively using the Cronbach Alpha method. Before the commencement of the testing and treatment package, the researchers assured the participants of confidentiality of interactions and personal information as they work together in self-disclosure. Thereafter, a pre-treatment assessment (pre-test) was conducted using the RASS and RRBS in order to collect baseline data (Time 1). After that, the experimental group was exposed to 90 minutes of the REBT programme twice a week for a period of 6-weeks. The treatment took place between September and November 2019. Post-test (Time 2) assessment was conducted 1 week after the last treatment session. Besides, a follow-up assessment was conducted after two months of the treatment (Time 3). Data collected were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The findings of the study revealed that the efficacy of rational emotive behavioural therapy on the reduction of restive behaviour among counselling, psychology, and sociology education undergraduate students was significant at post-test and follow-up measures. One of the implications of the findings is that if undergraduate students are not properly counselled, their restive behaviour will continue to increase. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Federal Government or relevant education authorities should provide enough guidance counsellors in the various institutions of higher learning who will assist in the counselling of the students on the dangers of restive behaviour using REBT.