Determining the Effect of Body Language Training on Learning the Dimensions of Social Skills in Shy Couples Referring to Psychological Centers in Semnan City
Keywords:
body language, social skills, shy couplesAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Shyness is considered an inhibitory personality characteristic that may reduce the quality of interpersonal interactions, impair emotional expression, and weaken social skills among couples. The present study aimed to determine the effect of body language training on learning the dimensions of social skills in shy couples referring to psychological centers in Semnan city.
Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental method with a pretest–posttest control group design. The statistical population included all couples with shyness problems referring to psychological centers in Semnan city in 2020, from whom 30 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group). Data were collected using the Riggio Social Skills Questionnaire (1989). The experimental group participated in nine 60-minute sessions of body language training based on the Mohammad Yousef et al. (2018) program, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-26 software.
Findings: The results of ANCOVA demonstrated that body language training significantly improved emotional expressiveness (F=102.085, P<0.001), emotional sensitivity (F=26.381, P<0.001), emotional control (F=37.641, P<0.001), social expressiveness (F=15.208, P<0.001), social sensitivity (F=136.297, P<0.001), and social control (F=130.741, P<0.001) in the experimental group compared with the control group. The obtained effect sizes also indicated the strong effectiveness of the intervention on social skill dimensions.
Conclusion: Body language training can serve as an effective nonverbal intervention for improving various dimensions of social skills among shy couples. Implementing this educational program in counseling and psychological centers may contribute to enhancing interpersonal and marital relationships in couples experiencing shyness.
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Copyright (c) 1403 Parisa Hekmatshear (Author); Fatemeh Bayanfar
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