Hay, I. (2000). Evaluation of a conflict-resolution and problem-solving programme to enhance adolescents' self-concept. British Journal of Guidance & Counseling, 28(1), 101-114.
The theme or key idea for this article was the evaluation of a conflict-resolution and problem-solving program (ABLE) that was designed originally to increase the self-concept and motivation of adolescent gifted underachieving females, but was currently presented to male and female secondary school students.
The problem studied was that students may suffer from low levels of self-concept that may contribute to emotional problems, personal difficulties, and poor social skills. Self-concept is reported to include dimensions of mathematics, verbal, general school, physical ability and appearance, opposite-sex, same-sex, and parent relations, honesty/trustworthiness, emotional stability, and general self. Increased self-concept is related to academic, social, and psychological health; deficits in these areas contribute to youth problems. The ABLE program links conflict-resolution to self-concept and has been evaluated with regard to its use with gifted underachieving girls. The problem is that research regarding the effects of this program on other student populations, is lacking. This study therefore examined whether or not this intervention program, the ABLE (Attribution, Behavior, Life skills Education), was successful in increasing the self-concept of students in a secondary, co-educational school.
Hypotheses for this study were not formally stated, however, findings were statistically analyzed to reveal significant findings which demonstrated that students participating in the ABLE program improved in self-concept compared to those not participating in the program.
Research questions for this study were not formally stated, however, use of the question of whether or not the ABLE program would positively effect self-concept in a male/female sec...