The Effectiveness of Cognitive–Behavioral Hypnotherapy on Emotion Regulation and Academic Self-Efficacy in Students with Learning Disabilities
Keywords:
Cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy, emotional regulation, academic self-concept, students, learning disorderAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral hypnotherapy on emotion regulation and academic self-efficacy in students with learning disabilities.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group was employed. The sample included 30 ninth-grade students with learning disabilities who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 60-minute sessions of cognitive–behavioral hypnotherapy, while the control group received no intervention. Emotion regulation and academic self-efficacy questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Findings: The results showed significant improvements in both emotion regulation and academic self-efficacy in the experimental group compared to the control group. The intervention produced substantial effect sizes, and posttest scores increased notably following hypnotherapy.
Conclusion: Cognitive–behavioral hypnotherapy is an effective approach for enhancing emotional functioning and improving academic self-efficacy in students with learning disabilities and can be successfully integrated into educational and therapeutic programs.
Downloads
References
Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2024). The role of teachers' emotion regulation in teaching effectiveness: A systematic review integrating four lines of research. Educational Psychologist, 59(2), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2023.2282446
Batra, A., Eck, S., Riegel, B., Friedrich, S., Fuhr, K., Torchalla, I., & Tönnies, S. (2024). Hypnotherapy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation in a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330362
Capano, L., Minden, D., Chen, S. X., Schachar, R. J., & Ickowicz, A. (2008). Mathematical Learning Disorder in School-Age Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(6), 392–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370805300609
Chen, Y. H., & Thompson, M. S. (2004). Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a School Self-Concept Inventory. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED490658
Chung, L., & Liu, T. (2022). Hypnotherapy as an intervention for educational stress: Evidence from students with learning challenges. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 14(2), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11275-022-1193-8
Conant, L. L., & Miller, L. E. (2024). Intellectual developmental disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and specific learning disorders across the lifespan. In Clinical neuropsychology: A pocket handbook for assessment, 4th ed (pp. 587–617). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000383-022
Doe, J., Harrison, P., & Thompson, L. (2023). The impact of psychological interventions on academic self-concept: A meta-analytic review. Educational Research Quarterly, 45(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2023.1901824
Esnaola, I., Sesé, A., Azpiazu, L., & Wang, Y. (2024). Revisiting the academic self-concept transcultural measurement model: The case of Spain and China. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 89–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12635
Gross, J. J. (2015). The extended process model of emotion regulation: Elaborations, applications, and future directions. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1), 130–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2015.989751
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual Differences in Two Emotion Regulation Processes: Implications for Affect, Relationships, and Well-Being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
Haipt, A., Rosenbaum, D., Fuhr, K., Batra, A., & Ehlis, A. C. (2024). Differential effects of hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy on the default mode network of depressed patients. Frontiers in psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1401946
Hazard, M., Perivier, M., Gaisne, C., Hicham, R., & Castelnau, P. (2024). Hypnosis therapy for self-esteem in pediatric neurology practice: A pilot exploratory study. Archives de Pédiatrie, 31(1), 72–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcped.2023.08.014
Heap, M. (2012). Hypnotherapy: A handbook. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Heap, M., Brown, R. J., & Oakley, D. A. (2004). The highly hypnotisable person. Brunner-Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203487822
Heap, M., & Kirsch, I. (2006). Hypnosis: Theory, research and application. Ashgate.
Isaacowitz, D. M. (2022). What Do We Know About Aging and Emotion Regulation? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(6), 1541–1555. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916211059819
Iwakabe, S., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C. (2023). Enhancing emotion regulation. Psychotherapy Research, 33(7), 918–945. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2023.2183155
Khaleghinejad, M., Janangir, P., & Dokaneifard, F. (2025). Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Successful Intelligence Training on the Cognitive Empowerment of Male 12th Grade Students in District 4 of Tehran. International Journal of Education and Cognitive Sciences, 6(1), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.ijecs.6.1.4
Lombardi, E., Traficante, D., Bettoni, R., Offredi, I., Vernice, M., & Sarti, D. (2021). Comparison on Well-Being, Engagement and Perceived School Climate in Secondary School Students with Learning Difficulties and Specific Learning Disorders: An Exploratory Study. Behavioral Sciences, 11(7), 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11070103
Nguyen, T., Zhang, W., & Lin, S. (2024). Cognitive hypnotherapy in managing emotional challenges in adolescents. Journal of Emotional Regulation, 18(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615200.2024.1981764
Pourkaveh, A., Pirani, Z., Pourasghar, M., Sadeghi, A., & Poustchi, H. (2023). Comparison of the Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Chronic Pain Indices and Cognitive-Emotional Regulation in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 17(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpbs-131811
Rodriguez, M., & Kross, E. (2023). Sensory emotion regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 27(4), 379–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.008
Sahni, P., & Fakhr, D. R. (2022). Self-Hypnosis Boosts Self-Concept: A Review. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 2679–2685. https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/7671
Sharma, S., & Warrier, M. G. (2024). Unveiling the Psyche: A Qualitative Exploration of Self-concept among Mental Health Professionals in Delhi NCR. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 15(1), 78–82. https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1949786
Siavoshifar, N., & Abedi, S. (2023). Interventions in math learning disorder: Systematic review. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 12(2), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.22098/jld.2022.7593.1812
Souza, F. L., Sr., Moura, M. S., Sr., Elkins, G., Sr., & Silva, J. V. A. (2024). Hypnotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.15.24310435
Springstein, T., & English, T. (2024). Distinguishing Emotion Regulation Success in Daily Life From Maladaptive Regulation and Dysregulation. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 28(2), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683231199140
Steinberg, O., Kulakow, S., & Raufelder, D. (2024). Academic self-concept, achievement, and goal orientations in different learning environments. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(4), 3893–3917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00825-6
Suveg, C., Kendall, P. C., Comer, J. S., & Robin, J. (2006). Emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxious youth: A multiple-baseline evaluation. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 36(2), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-006-9010-4
Suveg, C., Sood, E., Comer, J. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2009). Changes in Emotion Regulation Following Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38(3), 390–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410902851721
Ubago-Jimenez, J. L., Zurita-Ortega, F., Ortega-Martin, J. L., & Melguizo-Ibañez, E. (2024). Impact of emotional intelligence and academic self-concept on the academic performance of educational sciences undergraduates. Heliyon, 10(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29476
Wang, L., & Yu, Z. (2023). Gender-moderated effects of academic self-concept on achievement, motivation, performance, and self-efficacy: A systematic review. Frontiers in psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1136141
Yang, L., Yan, Z., Zhang, D., Boud, D., & Datu, J. A. (2023). Exploring the roles of academic self-concept and perseverance of effort in self-assessment practices. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 30(2), 104–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2023.2191161
Zhang, H., Yuan, X., Mohd Zain, N. B., & Gao, Y. (2024). Analysis of therapeutic effect of subliminal cognition combined with hypnotherapy on anxiety disorder via neural network. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 40(4), 3856–3873. https://doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2023.2204604
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 عصمت حسن پور, فاطمه زین الدینی میمند, خدیجه علی پور مقدم, مریم حسین زاده بافرانی (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.