The Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Improving Interpersonal Communication and Confidence

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) approach in increasing junior high school students' interpersonal communication and self-confidence. This study is an experimental study using a quasi-experimental design. The design is a time-series design that uses one experimental group measured repeatedly. The sample in this study was determined using a purposive sampling technique, and seven students met the predetermined criteria. Data was collected using an interpersonal communication scale and a self-confidence scale whose reliability was tested using the Cronbach Alpha formula. The data analysis used was nonparametric statistics using the Wilcoxon Match Pair Test to determine changes in scores on repeat measurements. This study found that: (1) the REBT approach showed its effectiveness in improving interpersonal communication skills in research subjects (sig, p = 0.018 < 0.05); and (2) the REBT approach proved effective in increasing selfconfidence (sig, p = 0.016 < 0.05). Therefore, it can be interpreted that using the REBT approach effectively improves interpersonal communication skills and self-confidence in junior high school students.