Comparing the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Optimism Training on Academic Burnout, Academic Self-Handicapping, Resilience, and Psychological Empowerment in Male High School Students in Zahedan

Articles in Press

Document Type : Scientific Articles

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Zah.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

3 Department of educational sciences,farhangian University, Tehran, iran

4 Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

10.22111/jeps.2026.55011.6222

Abstract

The period of secondary high school is associated with academic pressures and developmental challenges, and students in deprived areas, such as Zahedan, face high vulnerability to academic burnout and self-handicapping. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two third-generation therapeutic approaches and positive psychology approaches, namely Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training and optimism training, on academic burnout, academic self-handicapping, resilience, and psychological empowerment in male high school students in Zahedan.
Method: This applied research was conducted using a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test and a control group. The statistical population included male high school students in Zahedan during the academic year 1402-1403 [2023-2024]. From this population, 522 individuals were selected via multi-stage cluster sampling and completed the research questionnaire. Among them, 60 students with the highest scores in depression and self-handicapping and the lowest scores in resilience and empowerment were selected and randomly assigned to three groups of 20 (two experimental groups and one control group). The experimental groups received eight 90-minute sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training and optimism training, respectively. The instruments included the Breso Academic Burnout Questionnaire, Academic Self-Handicapping Questionnaire, Martin and Marsh Academic Resilience Scale, and Mir Kamali and Naranji Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS software version 18.

Keywords

Journal of Educational Psychology Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 July 2026

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