Studying and comparing the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and behavioral cognitive therapy on reducing gifted girl students' academic intellectual rumination and academic stress

The aim of this research was studing and comparing the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and behavioral cognitive therapy on reducing gifted girl students' academic rumination and academic stress. The research was a quasi –experimental study along with selecting and assigning the subjects randomly in experimental group and control group with pre-test and post-test. Statistical universe included all gifted girl students of second grade of high school in Khorramabad city that students filled out all the questionaires of academic rumination and academic stress using census method. Then 45 students who got the highest marks compared to others were selected and placed randomly in two experimental groups (each group 15 persons) and one control group. The first experimental group were subjected to positive psychotherapy interventions for 8 sessions and the second group were also subjected to behavioral cognitive interventions for 8 sessions, but the control group didn't receive any interventions during this period of time. Data were analyzed using unilateral covariance analysis test. Results showed that performing the positive psychotherapy and behavioral cognitive interventions led to meaningful reduction of academic rumination and academic stress of the subjects of experimental groups. In academic rumination variable, the positive psychotherapy interventions had more effect on reducing academic rumination, but in academic stress variable, there wasn't any meaningful diference between these two therapies. Based on the results, the methods of positive psychotherapy and behavioral cognitive therapy can be used as efficient methods to reduce academic intellectual rumination and academic stress.