Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Metacognitive Therapy on Academic Identity Status and Social Competence among Female Students with Test Anxiety

Farhadi, Nora; Marashian, Fatemeh Sadat; Ehteshamzadeh, Parvin; Dashtbozorgi, Zahra

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year 15, Issue 6 (3rd Summer 2026 2026) Rooyesh 2026, 15(6): 143-152 | Back to browse issues page

Ethics code: IR.IAU.AHVAZ.REC.1404.042

Clinical trials code: IRCT20250530065978N1

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Farhadi N, Marashian F S, Ehteshamzadeh P, Dashtbozorgi Z. (2026). Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Metacognitive Therapy on Academic Identity Status and Social Competence among Female Students with Test Anxiety. Rooyesh. 15(6), 143-152.
URL: http://frooyesh.ir/article-1-7244-en.html

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Metacognitive Therapy on Academic Identity Status and Social Competence among Female Students with Test Anxiety

Nora Farhadi¹

, Fatemeh Sadat Marashian ^*²

, Parvin Ehteshamzadeh¹

, Zahra Dashtbozorgi¹

1- Department of psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
2- Department of psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. fsmarashian@iau.ac.ir , fsmarashian@iau.ac.ir

Abstract: (4 Views)

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) on academic identity status and social competence among female high school students with test anxiety. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a two-month follow-up. The study population consisted of female senior high school students with test anxiety in Ahvaz, Iran, during the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 45 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (15 participants per group). Data were collected using the Sarason Test Anxiety Scale (SAT; Sarason, 1990), the Academic Identity Status Scale (AIS; Was & Isaacson, 2008), and the Social Competence Scale (SCS; Cohen & Resman, 1972). The ACT and MCT interventions were delivered in eight 90-minute sessions for the experimental groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests. The results indicated significant improvements in academic identity status and social competence from pretest to posttest and follow-up assessments (p<.05). However, no significant differences were found between ACT and MCT across time (p>.05), and the two intervention groups did not differ significantly in treatment outcomes. These findings suggest that both ACT and MCT are equally effective and produce sustained improvements in academic identity status and social competence among female students with test anxiety. Therefore, both interventions may be considered evidence-based psychological approaches for promoting academic and social adjustment in this population.

Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Metacognitive Therapy, Social Competence, Academic Identity Status, Test Anxiety.

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Type of Article: Applicable | Subject: General Psychology
Received: 2026/07/10 | Accepted: 2026/07/20 | ePublished: 2026/09/1