Effect of Cognitive Restructuring Technique on Emotional Adjustment Among Sampled Single Mothers in Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of cognitive restructuring technique on emotional adjustment among sampled single mothers in Abia State, Nigeria. The need for the research came as a result of high increase of single mothers in the area of the study and the quest to ameliorate the continuous increase in the subject area. The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted thenon-randomized pretest-posttest control group quasiexperimental design. The population of the study consisted of 52 sampled single mothers in Umuahia and Isuikwuato Local Government Areas of Abia state. The entire populations of 52 single mothers were used as sample for the study because the number was manageable by the researchers. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled “Emotional Adjustment of Single Mothers Questionnaire (EASMQ)” developed by the researchers and validated by three professionals from the Faculty of Education at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The instrument yielded a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.83, which was dimmed sufficient for the study. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at p 0.05 level of significance and answer research questions utilizing the data obtained for the study. The result of the study indicated that cognitive restructuring technique had significant effect on emotional adjustment of sample single mothers. The study also showed thatthere was no significant difference in the effects of cognitive restructuring technique on emotional adjustment among urban and ruralsingle mothers. In the other words, urban and rural single mothers benefitted almost equally from the CRT treatment. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that professional counsellors should employ all necessary avenues such as workshops, seminar and jingle to help the single mothers adjust emotionally using cognitive restructuring technique.