The effect of cognitive behavioral oriented group counseling application, which aims to gain forgiveness flexibility, on hopelessness in adolescents

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of Cognitive Behavioral Oriented Group Counseling Application, on hopelessness in adolescents. The application was prepared by the researcher with the purpose of gaining forgiveness flexibility. The research was conducted with 24 high school students randomly chosen from 9th, 10th and 11th grade students who are studying at an Anatolian High School located in the district Bağcılar of İstanbul province in 2016-2017 academic year. Forgiveness Flexibility Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used to select the participants. Random assignment was made to the research groups (experiment n=12, control n=12) by drawing lots among 44 students who scored below the average of Forgiveness Flexibility Scale and above the average of Beck Hopelessness Scale. Experimental and control groups were also selected randomly. After the groups were formed, application consisting of 12 sessions were started for experiment group. While cognitive behavioral oriented group counseling was applied to the experiment group for the purpose of gaining forgiveness flexibility, no action was taken on the control group. In this research, 2x3 (experiment/control groups X pre-test/post-test/ follow up test) split plot design was used. In order to collect data in the study, the Forgiveness Scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale were administered to experimental and control groups three times at different time intervals immediately before at the beginning of the sessions, at the end of the sessions and 60 days after the study. Two factors variance analysis technique was used for repeated measures on one factor to determine whether there was a significant difference between the measurements and the groups in the analysis of data obtained from these measurements. Data obtained from three measurements (pre-test, post-test and follow-up test) were analyzed with the packaged software (SPSS 16) and significance level was taken as .05. According to the findings of the research, the effect of intervention X time was found to be significant for all variables of forgiveness flexibility and hopelessness which constitutes the variables of the research (p<.05). Bonferroni adjustment multiple comparisons test was used to determine the source of this difference. The results obtained from Bonferroni adjustment multiple comparisons test and variance analysis revealed that cognitive behavioral oriented group counseling application which aims to gain forgiveness flexibility is effective in reducing hopelessness and that this effect is remained persistent after 60 days follow up process. In the light of findings, results obtained from the research were discussed and suggestions for future researches were made. Keywords: Forgiveness Flexibility, Hopelessness, Cognitive Behavioral Approach, Group Counseling, Adolescence.