The effectiveness of dialectical therapy on cognitive flexibility and externalizing behaviors of single-parent adolescents

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of dialectical therapy on cognitive flexibility and externalizing behaviors of single-parent adolescents. The current research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this research was all single-parent teenagers who were referred to the welfare centers of Tehran in 1401, from which 30 people were selected as a sample using available sampling. The data collection tool included Achenbach and Rescorella's (2001) Adolescent Behavioral Problems Scale (CBCL), and Martin and Rubin's (2013) Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFI). Finally, the data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis. Findings showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there was a significant difference between the post-test of the experimental group and the control group in cognitive flexibility and extraverted behaviors of single-parent adolescents (P<0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that dialectical therapy has been effective in cognitive flexibility and extraverted behaviors of single-parent teenagers.