Efficacy of cognitive restructuring technique on adjustment of social isolates in a sample of nigerian secondary school adolescences

Methods: Pre-test post-test randomized control trial experimental design was adopted by the researchers for the study (60). Secondary school adolescents who were drawn through proportionate stratifi ed randomly sampling technique constituted the sample for the study. The secondary school adolescents were randomly assigned to experimental (32) and (28) groups. Social Isolates Assessment scale for Adolescents (SIASA) and Adjustment Scale of Social Isolates (ASSI) were used for data collection. SIASA and ASSI were properly validated by experts in the test development and the internal consistency reliability indices of the items estimated as 0.82 and 0.86 respectively using Cronbach Alpha method. Before the commencement of the testing and treatment package, the researchers assured the participants of confi dentiality of interactions and personal information as they work together in self-disclosure. Thereafter, pre-treatment assessment (pre-test) was conducted using the SIASA and ASSI in order to collect baseline data (Time 1). After that, the experimental group was exposed to 90 minutes of the Cognitive Restructuring Technique (CRT) program twice a week for a period of 6-weeks. The treatment took place between September and November 2019. Post-test (Time 2) assessment was conducted 1 week after the last treatment session. Besides, a follow-up assessment was conducted after two months of the treatment (Time 3). Data collected were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.


Introduction
Adolescents are commonly regarded as youths of today and very vital to the socioeconomic and political development of any nation. The World Health Organization (WHO) [1] defi nes an adolescents as any person between the ages of 10 and 19 years. This range also falls within the World Health Organization's defi nition of young people which refers to individuals between 10-24 years. This presupposes that being an adolescent is a transitory stage in life. For this study, adolescents are persons within the age range of 10 and 19 years currently in secondary school otherwise known as schooling adolescents. These group of people are exposed to many maladaptive behaviours such as social isolation.
Social isolate behavior is a developmental disorder usually identifi ed by a number of negative consequences including heightened anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, addictions, substance abuse and violent behavior [2]. There are certain goals that require efforts of adolescents to be achieved. Human beings as a social animals need social and psychological support from their fellows in certain conditions to achieve a goal. Man as a social animal, usually maximizes his potentials and reaches his full capacity in development only in the context of association with others [3]. Social isolation, on the contrary, tends to restrain human development and usually leads to physical, mental and emotional disorder [4]. Social isolates is the act of withdrawing from society in general [5].
In such developmental disorder, there is usually not much interaction with other people. An isolate according to Ncheke [2] is that individual who is psychologically distinct from other members of the class or group. Such person who is isolated may have inferiority complex and because of that people usually disregard the individual and it has serious implication to the affected individual [4].
Isolate behavior is a developmental disorder that has a number of implications for entire society. Isolate behavior is a form of social problem where an individual continually distant himself from a given social group of which he or she ordinarily belongs [6]. Such a group can be institution, peer or academic.
In the context of this study, a social isolate is that adolescent who distances himself from society as a result of psychological problem such as inferiority complex, anxiety, panic attacks among others. The isolation of a child by his peers during secondary school years may infl uence the child's participation in school activities and this in turn may infl uence his overall performance in school and his performance later in life. In addition many children who are isolated by their peers at this early stage in life many become frustrated, develop inferiority complex and consequently lose self-confi dence [2]. This of course, could cost untold destruction in the academic life of the child and by implication the educational development of the nation.
It is possible that such maladaptive behaviours like inferiority complex, frustration; loss if self-confi dence among others can be positively modifi ed and/or adjusted through a number of ways. These ways may include, individual counseling, role playing, cognitive restructuring technique among others [7]. However, while there are reports of effi cacies of individual counseling, role playing and cognitive restructuring technique in other inadaptive areas like shyness, stage fright, little or no information appears to be available in the area of social isolation. Social isolation is a nagging problem that impairs with students social skill as a result of inability to adjust properly and hence must be reduced. Using the effi cacy of cognitive restructuring in solving other maladaptive behaviours, would such counseling approach be effective in adjustment of social isolates among adolescents.
Adjustment is an inevitable process in the life of every individual. Adjustment refers to various activities of an individual which involves efforts to cope with his life, vocational, social and economic contingencies [8]. It implies the application of essential skills to triumph over life contingencies. The authors also noted that adjustment is the ability of individual to harmonize his mental and behavioural pattern in order to achieve his personal needs, the demands of the other individuals and that of the society. In this study, adjustment refers to the process in which an adolescents strives to satisfy his/her personal needs as well as deals with the demands, and constraints that are placed on him/her by the school environment. Such demands includes: Obeying rules and regulations, punctuality, participating in all school activities both curricular and extra-curricular activities. To acquire these skills of adjustment, counseling of students becomes important and needs urgent attention since adjustment is solution to life problem.
It seems that many secondary school adolescents are maladjusted and as such; they display such undesirable characteristics as showing off, attention seeking, nervousness, emotional instability and restlessness. The isolation of a students by his mates during school years could affect negatively the student's participation in school activities and this could affect his overall performance in school and his later life performance. There are research evidence suggesting that a high proportion of Nigerian secondary school adolescents are isolated regardless of the problem associate with it [9]. Adali (2018) noted that students who are isolated at early stage of their secondary education usually become frustrated, develop inferiority complex and lose self-confi dence.
It is based on the observed gap that the researchers conducted a randomized control trial of effi cacy of cognitive restructuring counseling technique on the adjustment of social isolates in a sample of Nigerian secondary school adolescents.
In this study, it was hypothesized that cognitive restructuring technique has signifi cant effect in adjusting social isolate secondary school adolescents in Enugu state Nigeria at three points of assessment.

Literature review
Literature showed that over 40 percent of Nigerian secondary school adolescents perform poorly and are maladjusted due to social isolation [10]. Leo [11] has argued that there is an urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the Citation: Ncheke  issue of secondary school adolescents that are socially isolated.
Research indicates that the major cause of students diffi culties in social learning is lack of social acceptance [12]. Finberget (2002) and Goertzan [13]. A study conducted by Finberget (2002) found that children of low social acceptance tend to lack desirable and positive personality traits whereas children with high social acceptance among peers tend to exhibit desirable and positive personality traits. Moreso, children who are not socially accepted by their peers tend to display such undesirable traits as showing off, nervousness, and emotional instability Calif [14], Lunni [15,16]. This implies that students with such traits lack self control. Children who are not socially accepted by their peers also show inferiority complex, anxiety and panic attacks [4]. It is possible that the undesirable traits of the non-socially accepted are the cause of lack of social acceptance. It is also likely that a lack of social acceptance helps to produce much of the unacceptance behaviours of secondary school students [2]. This study suggests that one important function of the mental health counselor is to break into the vicious circle where lack of acceptance by peers helps to produce unacceptable behaviour and unacceptable behavior tends to generate lack of peer acceptance.
However, maladaptive or rather inappropriate behavior can be reduced or adjusted through behavior modifi cation techniques. Different kinds of behavior modifi cation techniques such as rational emotive behavioural therapy, psychodrama, role therapy, psychodrama, role therapy, avertive therapy, reinforcement among others have been used for intervention on maladaptive behavior among school children [4,[17][18][19].
Adumah [20] have also suggested that psychological principles and the experiences of mental health counselor and those therapists who have worked with isolates persons support the following techniques for helping rejected and isolated students achieve a place in the class group. These techniques include fi nding special skills, training in skills (already acquired), discussion, using peer helpers and group guidance [4]. However, all the techniques are used in counseling approach like Cognitive Restructuring Technique (CRT) hence, the researchers sought to investigate the effi cacy of CRT on adjustment of social isolates in a sample of secondary school adolescents. This, may be could be necessary because the area of social islates adjustment appears somehow neglected.
Cognitive Restructuring Technique (CRT) in counseling is very effective in handling a lot of maladaptive behaviours.
Cognitive restructuring involves the process of reframing negative and unrealistic thoughts to realistic and positive thinking [21]. Social isolates of secondary school adolescent is a negative and unrealistic behavior. This implies that if adolescents receive cognitive restructuring programme that they will refrain from negative thoughts that is social Restructuring as a technique in counseling is effective in reducing a lot of maladaptive behaviours. For instance [22], found out in his study that Cognitive Restructuring was effective in reducing examination phobia among students. Also Mejo [23] noted that CRT had positive effect on the tendencies to engage in examination malpractice. However, Enofa [24] found out that students who were exposed to CRT adjusted on their anger behavior more than those who were not exposed to treatment. Because social isolation is a developmental disorder or rather connected to maladaptive behaviours such as lack of self control, nervousness, emotional instability, low self-esteem among others, the use of cognitive restructuring technique has been suggested as a remedy [4,22,23,25].
Undaah (2015) posits that in CRT, isolates are taught to refrain from negative thoughts and develop a mindset that enables than to persist better in doing aversive tasks. Thus, this study assessed the effi cacy of CRT based program in the adjustment of secondary school adolescents social isolate behaviours.

Design of the study and participants
The pre-test, post randomized control trial experimental design was adopted. Subjects were randomized into experimental and control groups. A total of 60 secondary

Measures
Demographic questionnaire: A demographic questionnaire was administered to the adolescents (participants) in order to obtain their demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and location. Each of the participants was instructed to tick the appropriate demographic information that may be applicable to him or her Table 1.

Social Isolate Assessment Scale for Adolescents (SIA-SA)
Social Isolate Assessment Scale for Adolescents (SIASA) developed by the researchers was used for data collection.    • To ensure that adolescents were informed about the cognitive restructuring technique.
• To ensure that adolescents reframe from negative and unrealistic thoughts to realistic and positive thinking.
• To assist adolescents in adjusting their social isolate behaviours.
• To assist adolescents that whenever unpleasant and unfortunate activating events occur in people's lives, they have a choice of making themselves feel healthily and self-helping sorry among others.
• To help adolescents learn that man's unrealistic thought leads to his undesirable behavior.
• To help adolescents learn that man's propensity to think negatively can be checked and reversed to ensure wellordered, positive, logical and rational life as a result of cognitive restructuring.
The manual as adopted from Ncheke [2] was written in English and can be accessed from https://www.researchgate.

net (publication) edu.ng). Effects of cognitive restructuring
and rational emotive behavioural therapy on social isolate behaviours of secondary school student.

Data analysis
The This was done by re-administering the SIASA after the 2 weeks of fi rst administration.

Adjustment Scale of Social Isolates (ASSI)
Adjustment This was done by re-administering the ASS1 after the 2 weeks of fi rst administration.

Procedure
A demographic questionnaire was administered to the eligible participants to access their age, gender, and location as secondary school adolescents. In order to remove randomization bias, information from the demographic questionnaire were not made know to the person who randomized the participants to experimental and control conditions. Before the commencement of the testing and treatment package, the researchers assured the participants of confi dentiality of interactions and personal information as they work together in self disclosure. Thereafter, pre-treatment assessment (pre-test) was conducted using the SIASA and ASSI in order to collect baseline data (Time 1). After that, the experimental group was exposed to 90 minutes of the CRT program twice a week for period of 6 weeks. The treatment took place between September and November, 2019. Post-test (Time 2) assessment was conducted 1 week after the last treatment session. Besides, a follow-up assessment was conducted after 2 months of the treatment (Time 3). Data collected from the experimental group at each evaluation were compares to that from the nonintervention control group.

Intervention program
The program that was used in this study was designed by Ncheke [2] to improve the experimental group's ability

Schematic representation of the method and materials 3
between the individual time points. It shows that there were signifi cant differences in social isolate behaviors of Secondary School adolescents between post-treatment and pre-treatment (P= 0.000), and between pre-treatment and and follow-up (P= 0.000). This implies that the social isolate behaviours of the adolescents drastically adjusted after the intervention program.

Discussion of the results
The fi ndings of the study revealed that at the post- Umah [4,22,23,25]. Inappropriate behavior can be adjusted or rather reduced through behavior modifi cation techniques.

Limitations
Like other empirical-based studies, this present study has some limiting factors. The study utilized data from the criterion-referenced point of view to evaluate the effectiveness of CRT on the adjustment of social isolation among adolescents, without considering the moderating effects of demographic variables like gender, age and some personality characteristics.
The cognitive confi guration used by the experiment were effective for helping the experimental group to begin adjusting tasks even when they did not feel like working. In addition, the experimental group in this study reported dislike doing assignments in a group, read in group with classmates and not happy going to school as causes of the social isolation behavours. These may have affected the outcome of the study.
Consequently, the generalization of the fi ndings should be done with care. However, future studies should explore how these demographic variables could moderate the effi cacy of CRT on the adjustment of social isolate adolescent.

Conclusion and Recommendation
Based on the fi ndings of the study, the researchers concluded that CRT is effi cacious in the adjustment of social isolation among adolescents in public secondary schools. Based on the conclusion, it is therefore profi table, that guidance counselors in secondary schools should be properly trained on how to use CRT in adjusting social isolation among adolescents.
It is also important that education authorities or rather federal government should provide enough guidance counselors in the various secondary schools who will assist in the counseling of the adolescents on the dangers of social isolation using CRT.   .000 .000