Pengaruh Play Therapy terhadap Peningkatan Kepercayaan Diri Anak Usia Remaja dalam Dunia Pendidikan (Studi Quasi-Eksperimen)

Self-confidence is a key psychological factor that shapes academic achievement and social adjustment during adolescence. This study examined the effect of play therapy on self-confidence among junior high school students in the Pasuruan region, East Java. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. Thirty students aged 10–20 years were assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received eight play therapy sessions, while the control group followed regular school activities. The experimental group's mean self-confidence score rose from 62.40 to 81.73 (p < .001), whereas the control group's rose from 63.07 to 65.20 (p = .037). The between-group difference at posttest was significant (t(28) = 7.03; p < .001; Cohen's d = 2.57). Play therapy is therefore effective in increasing students' self-confidence and may serve as an alternative school counseling service.