The Effect of An Emotional-Expression Education Program on Alexithymia and Loneliness Levels

Year 2005, Volume: 3 Issue: 23, 29 - 45, 11.06.2005

Recep Koçak

Abstract

In the present study, "The Effect of An EmotionalExpression Education Program on Alexithymia and Loneliness Levels" was examined among university students. The population of the study was students em"ol/ed in the classes in College of EduClition at Ankara University in 2001-2002 academic years. A pretest-posttest control/ed group design with split-plot was used. Besides the experimental group of 15 students, a control group (15 samples, 3 group session activities which are wirelated with alexithymia and loneliness) was fonned to control possible Hawthorne effect. The main purpose of the study was to test whether the Emotional-Expression Education Program was effective in reducing the alexithymia and loneliness level of students. The ndependent variable of the research was the program that was peiformed only by the experimental group and the dependent variables were alexithymia and loneliness levels. The Emotional-Expression Education Progr{l1n \-vasusul as an experimental operation in 11 group sessions orice a week and each group session was almost two hours long. A pretest and a posttest was administered to measiire alexithymia levels. The Toronto Alexitliymia Scale (TAS) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale were administered in the study. Results showed that there was significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores on alexithymia and loneliness for the experimental control group (p <.001 ).ln other words, depending on the experimental operatian, the alexithymia and loneliness level of experimental group' s reduced at significant level (p < .001) compared to the plasebo control group. [F(1-27)=30.69, P <.001 ve F (1-27)= 15.607, PEDOl]. This reduction occurred because of the Emotional-EJ..pression Educcition Program. In addition, to test whether the program's reducing effect on alexithymia and loneliness is long lasting or not, compared differences bettveen both experimental and control group's posttest scores andfollowing-up test were used 4,5 mounts later. The data analyzed by paired samples t-test. The result indicated that there is no meningful difference between posttest andfollowing-up test scores of alexithymia of both experimental and control group. And also there is no significant difference between posttest and following-up test scores of loneliness of both J..perimental and control group. It is understood that The Group Program of the EduClition of Emotional Expressian is effective in reducing the alexithymia and loneliness levels of students. And this effect is in long tenn.

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Duygusal İfade Eğitimi Programının Üniversite Ögrencilerinin Aleksitimi ve Yalnızlık Düzeylerine Etkisi

Abstract

Bu arastirmada, duygusal ifade egitimi programinm üniversite ögrencilerin aleksitimi ve yalnizlik dÜzeylerine etkisi incelenmistir. 2001-2002 ögretim yilmda Ankara Üniversitesi Egitim Bilimleri FakÜltesinde okuyan ögrenciler bu arastirmanin kapsammi olusturmaktadir. Arastlrmada öntest-sontest kontrol gruplu (split plot) deneysel desen kul/anilmistir. Arastinnada 15 kisilik deney grubun yaiu sira, Howthornl etkisini kontrol etmek amaciyla 15 denekli plasebo kontrol grubu olusturulmustur ArastlnnalUn temel amaci hazirlanan duygusal ifade egitimi programmm ögrencilerin aleksitimi ve yalnizlik düzeylerini azaltmada etkili olup olmadigini test etmektir. Bu nedenle arastiroianin bagimsiz degiskeni deney grubuna uygulanan egitim programidir: Bagunli degiskeni ise ögrencilerin aleksitimi ve yalnizlik düzeyleridir. Arastirma sürecinde deneysel islem olarak uygulanan duygusal ifade egitimi programi; 11 oturumluk olup oturumlari her hafta 2 saat kadar sünnüstür. Öntest ve sontest olarak üyelere aleksitimik düzeyleri ölçmek için Torw1fo Aleksitimi Ölçegi (TAÖ) ve yalmzlik düzeylerini ölçmek için ise UCLA Yalmzlik Ölçegi uygulanmistir. Arastlnna sonunda öntest-sontest kontrol gruplu (2x2'lik) deneysel desenler için etkili bir yöntem olan kovaryans analizi (ANCOV A) uygulammstir. Yapilan analizler sonucunda, öntest aleksitimi ve yalnizlik puanlarina göre deney ve kontrol gruplarmm sontest aleksitimi (TAÖ) ve yaliuzltk (UCLA) puanlari arasmda denemelere baglt olarak .001 düzeyinde anlamli farklilik oldugu anlastimistir. [F( 1-27)=30.69, P<.OOl ve F (1-27)= 15.607, Pi.OOl]. Ayrica arastirmaci tarafindan hazirlanan duygusal ifade egitimi programmm etkisinin uzun süreli (zaman etkisinden bagl/1isiz) olup olmadigiiii test etmek amaciyla 4,5 ay sonra izleme ölfümleri .yapilarak (-resti uygulanmistir. Sonuç olarak uygulanan "Duygusal Ifade Egitimi Grup Programi 'iiin ögrencilerin aleksitimi ve yalmzlik düzeylerini azaltmada etkili oldugu ve bu etkinin uzun sÜreli oldugu anlasiliiiistir. Elde edilen tüm bu bulgular bilimsel kaynaklar isigmda yorumlanarak tartistlmis ve bazi öneriler yaptlmistir.

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