Effectiveness of Self-Differentiation Training on Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity in Divorced Students with Tendency toward High Risk Behaviors

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of self-differentiation training on the sensation-seeking and impulsivity of students from divorced families who are inclined to engage in hazardous behaviors. The research method was semi-experimental, utilizing a three-phase design (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) with a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the study included students from divorced families inclined towards risky behaviors who were studying in the first and second grades of high school during the 2021-2022 academic year in Bandar Abbas. In this study, 35 students from divorced families who were inclined toward hazardous behaviors (26 boys and 9 girls) were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (18 students in the experimental group and 17 students in the control group) through purposive sampling. Students in the experimental group participated in ten 75-minute sessions over the course of ten weeks to receive self-differentiation training. The study utilized the Risky Behavior Questionnaire (HRBQ), the Sensation-Seeking Questionnaire (SSQ), and the Impulsivity Questionnaire (BIS). The obtained data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with SPSS23 statistical software. The results indicated that self-differentiation training had a significant effect on sensation-seeking (p < 0.0001; Eta = 0.57; F = 43.55) and impulsivity (p < 0.0001; Eta = 0.46; F = 28.71) among students from divorced families who were inclined to engage in hazardous behaviors. From the research results, it can be inferred that self-differentiation training, which employs techniques such as the differentiation between rational and irrational beliefs, the provision of participants with specific communication skills, and the acceptance of responsibility, can be an effective approach to reducing sensation-seeking and impulsivity in students from divorced families who are inclined to engage in risky behaviors.