Comparing the Effects of Attributional Retraining and Cognitive–Behavioral Play Therapy on Problem Solving in Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in the Second Grade of Elementary School
Keywords:
Second grade of elementary school, Students, Problem solving, Cognitive behavioral play therapy , Attributional retraining, Specific learning disorderAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effects of attributional retraining and cognitive–behavioral play therapy on problem-solving skills among students with specific learning disabilities.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test–post-test design with a control group and a three-month follow-up. The statistical population included all second-grade elementary students with specific learning disabilities in Sari during 2025. Forty-five students were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups (15 attributional retraining, 15 cognitive–behavioral play therapy, and 15 control). Data were collected using the Problem-Solving Inventory by Heppner and Peterson (1982) and the Colorado Learning Disabilities Questionnaire by Wilcutt et al. (2011). Data analysis was performed using repeated-measures ANOVA.
Findings: Results revealed significant differences between the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up scores of problem-solving (p<0.001). Both interventions significantly improved students’ problem-solving skills, yet cognitive–behavioral play therapy showed a stronger and more sustained effect compared to attributional retraining. The partial eta-squared value (η² = 0.879) indicated a strong intervention effect over time.
Conclusion: Both attributional retraining and cognitive–behavioral play therapy were effective in enhancing the problem-solving abilities of students with specific learning disabilities. However, the cognitive–behavioral play therapy approach yielded greater and more durable improvements, highlighting its suitability as a practical intervention for educational and therapeutic applications.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Fatemeh Nikzad, Kazem Shariatnia, Hamzeh Akbari (Author)
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