Abstract:

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of training problem-solving skills on increasing self-esteem and decreasing stress among female university students. The population of the study consisted of all the female students who were studying humanities in Islamic Azad University (IAU) Roudehen branch in the academic year of 2007-2008. Out of them, fifty students were randomly selected. The instruments of the research were a questionnaire and a test. To measure self-esteem, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Test (SEI) and to measure stress, Cattell’s Stress Coping Questionnaire were administered. They were administered to the students in both experimental and contrast groups before and after the instruction as pretest and posttest. Just after the pretest, problem-solving skills were taught to the experimental group for thirteen sessions and then both groups sat for the posttest. The results of ANCOVA indicate that problem-solving skills training is effective in increasing self-esteem among female students of Islamic Azad University Roudehen Branch. The findings also show that training problem-solving skills can significantly reduce the stress among those students.

Keywords:

Problem-solving skills, self-esteem, stress.