Effect of Social Skill Training on Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem and Adjustment of Students at the University Level

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of social skill training (SST) intervention on social anxiety, self-esteem, and university adjustment among university-level students in Bangladesh. Utilizing a quasi-experimental randomized waitlist control design, participants were assigned to either the experimental group (EG), which received a four-week SST intervention, or the waitlist control group (WCG), which waited four weeks before receiving the intervention. Assessments were conducted at pretest, post wait test, post-test, and one-month follow-up tests to evaluate changes in social anxiety, self-esteem, and university adjustment. This study was conducted across eight institutions, including three public universities, three private universities, and two university-affiliated colleges, from January to April 2023. A total of 172 students, divided into experimental (n = 93) and waitlist control (n = 79) groups participated in the study. The participants were recruited through notices and underwent screening for social anxiety disorder. The intervention consisted of eight group sessions delivered over four weeks, focusing on verbal, nonverbal, and assertive communication skills. The study employed an eligibility measure i.e., the Severity Measure for Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)-Adult, and four outcome measures, including the Brief Version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) Scale, Inventory of Interpersonal Situations (IIS), Bangla version Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES), and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). The English versions of these outcome measures were translated and culturally adapted to the Bangladeshi context using TRAPD model and validated through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS SEM). Data analysis using SPSS Statistics 27 and SmartPLS 4, included independent sample t-tests, one-way repeated measures ANOVA, repeated measures MANOVA, and mediation modeling. Results indicated that the SST intervention significantly reduced social anxiety and improved self-esteem and university adjustment in the EG compared to the WCG with moderate to large effect sizes. Both experimental and waitlist control groups experienced significant improvements in social anxiety (fear of negative evaluation, IIS discomfort), self-esteem, and university adjustment with large effect sizes. The interaction effect indicates that the experimental group showed greater improvements in studied variables from the pretest to post-test with large effect sizes. Additionally, self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between social anxiety (fear of negative evaluation) and university adjustment. Therefore, SST is an effective intervention for reducing social anxiety and improving self-esteem and university adjustment among university students in Bangladesh. The study highlights the importance of addressing social anxiety and enhancing self-esteem to facilitate xviii better adjustment in university. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.