Mahta Salehin, Mohammad Hassan Asayesh, Zahra Naghsh,
Volume 24, Issue 93 (3-2025)
Abstract
Aim: The Paradoxical Therapy Model (PTC) is a new and comprehensive approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of PTC on test anxiety and self-confidence among female high school students in Tehran. Methods: The study employed a single-subject ABA design. The statistical population included all 12th-grade female students in Tehran during the 2021–2022 academic year. A convenience sample was selected from students who had referred to the school counselor at Zahra Al-Athar High School (S.A.) with complaints of test anxiety and low self-confidence. These students scored within the inclusion criteria on the Friedman and Jacob Test Anxiety Scale (1997) and the Eysenck Self-Confidence Questionnaire (1979). Four students were selected via non-random convenience sampling. After a three-week baseline assessment, participants received three individual intervention sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. During the intervention phase (B), PTC techniques were implemented. Outcomes were evaluated using visual analysis (eyeball method) and effect size calculations across multiple measurement points. Findings: The results showed significant differences in self-confidence and test anxiety scores before and after the intervention in all four students, indicating that PTC had a positive effect in reducing test anxiety and enhancing self-confidence. Conclusion: School counselors may benefit from applying this approach to help students with anxiety disorders and low self-confidence.
