Comparison of the Effect of Mindfulness Training and Cognitive-Behavioral Games on Emotion Regulation in Elementary School Students

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effect of mindfulness training and cognitive-behavioral games on emotion regulation in elementary school students.   Methods and Materials: The research method was quasi-experimental, and data were collected using a pretest-posttest-follow-up design (three-group design) with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population included all second-cycle elementary school students (grades 4 to 6) in District 7 of Tehran during the 2022–2023 academic year. From this population, 45 students were selected using convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 students each) and one control group (15 students). The mindfulness training experimental group underwent 12 sessions of 90 minutes each, and the cognitive-behavioral games experimental group also received 12 sessions of 90 minutes each. The instrument used in this study was the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003).   Findings: Data analysis was conducted using SPSS v24 software in both descriptive and inferential sections, employing repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that both interventions significantly improved emotion regulation in elementary school students. However, the degree of change in emotion regulation was greater in the cognitive-behavioral games group compared to the mindfulness training group.   Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of these interventions, it can be concluded that both training programs, by employing their specific techniques, successfully enhanced students' emotion regulation.