EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE CONTROL THERAPY AND SELF-ESTEEM ON SELF-HANDICAPPING BEHAVIOUR AMONG SCHOOL-GOING ADOLESCENTS IN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of Cognitive Control Therapy (CCT) and self-esteem on self-handicapping behaviour (SHB) among school-going adolescents in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design. A total of 236 secondary school adolescents participated in the study, comprising 116 students in the experimental group exposed to Cognitive Control Therapy and 120 students in the control group. Standardized instruments were used to measure self-handicapping behaviour and self-esteem. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and post-hoc t-tests. Findings revealed that the level of self-handicapping behaviour among adolescents in Katsina State was high, while their level of self-esteem was generally low. Results further showed a significant difference in self-handicapping behaviour between students exposed to Cognitive Control Therapy and those in the control group, with participants in the CCT group recording significantly lower mean scores, indicating that CCT was effective in reducing self-handicapping behaviour. Additionally, self-esteem significantly influenced the effectiveness of Cognitive Control Therapy, as adolescents with high self-esteem benefited more from the intervention than those with low self-esteem. However, gender did not significantly influence self-handicapping behaviour, although male students exposed to CCT showed slightly lower SHB scores than their female counterparts. The study concludes that Cognitive Control Therapy is an effective psychological intervention for reducing self-handicapping behaviour among school-going adolescents, particularly when supported by healthy levels of self-esteem. It is therefore recommended that school counsellors, psychologists, and educators integrate cognitive control strategies and self-esteem enhancement programmes into secondary school guidance and counselling services in Katsina State and Nigeria at large.
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