The Effectiveness of Children's Psychological Inoculation Training on Social Interaction and Social Phobia

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of children's stress inoculation training on social interaction and social phobia reduction in Dezful County.

Methods and Materials: The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test control group design. The statistical population included children from Dezful County, among whom 30 participants were randomly selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. Data collection tools were the Social Phobia Questionnaire and the Social Interaction Questionnaire. The experimental group participated in ten sessions of stress inoculation training, and data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple regression analysis.

Findings: The results of MANCOVA indicated that stress inoculation training significantly reduced fear (F=2.58, p=0.001), avoidance (F=7.87, p=0.000), and physiological distress (F=3.90, p=0.005). It also significantly improved feedback skills (F=10.83, p=0.003) and affected verbal (F=10.65, p=0.003) and listening skills (F=13.94, p=0.001). Multiple regression results revealed that fear, avoidance, physiological distress, and social interaction significantly predicted social phobia (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Stress inoculation training can serve as an effective intervention for reducing social phobia and enhancing children's social interaction, and the development of such programs in schools is highly recommended.