Comparison of the Effectiveness of Attribution Training, Metaphor Training, and Attribution/metaphor Training on Optimism of School Students

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of attribution training، metaphor training، and attribution/metaphor training on students optimism. This semi- experimental study was conducted with pretest - posttest and control group. Statistical population included all first grade state and day high school girl students in Hamadan in the academic year 2010-11 (1389-90s. c.) and the sampling method was multistage cluster sampling. The sample was comprised of 96 students and subjects were randomly assigned into the four groups of 24 persons each (3 experimental grups and 1 control group). The research instrument was the Optimism Questionnair (Oleary & Fincham، 2000). Experimental treatment was conducted on the experimental groups during 10 sessions and then posttests were administrated on the 4groups. Statistical analysis was conducted by one-way analysis of variance and LSD test using SPSS-16 software. Results showed that there is a difference among all methods effectiveness except metaphor effectiveness as compared with attribution and attribution effectiveness as compared with control، on improving optimism in the first grade high school girl students (P<0. 001). Also، when the effectiveness of these three methods were compared، it was found out that the most effective methods were metaphor / attribution، metaphor and attribution respectively. These findings show that metaphor training and attribution/ metaphor training leads to optimism improve students. Therefore using new training such as metaphor and attribution/metaphor can reduce the current and future difficulties of students.