Enhancing Self-Esteem through Transactional Analysis Group Training among College Students in Kerala

Abstract

Background: The manner in which individuals perceive and evaluate their own worth constitutes a fundamental determinant of mental wellness and scholastic achievement among university learners. Within Kerala's educational landscape, characterized by heightened academic rivalry, numerous students grapple with diminished self-regard. The Transactional Analysis (TA) theoretical model presents a viable approach for bolstering self-worth by fostering enhanced personal insight and relational effectiveness.

Objective: The present investigation sought to examine the influence of a TA-grounded group intervention program on self-regard among undergraduate learners in Kerala, India.

Method: A quasi-experimental methodology incorporating baseline and post-intervention assessments with a comparison group was implemented. Eighty undergraduate learners from liberal arts and science institutions in Kerala were allocated to either a treatment condition (n = 40) or a comparison condition (n = 40). Treatment recipients engaged in eight TA-based group sessions lasting 90 minutes each, convened biweekly across a four-week duration. Self-regard was quantified utilizing the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).

Results: ANCOVA findings revealed statistically meaningful between-group disparities at the post-intervention assessment, F(1, 77) = 45.67, p < .001, partial η² = .37. The treatment group exhibited marked enhancement in self-regard indices (baseline M = 18.45, SD = 4.32; post-intervention M = 26.78, SD = 3.89), whereas the comparison group manifested negligible variation (baseline M = 18.12, SD = 4.56; post-intervention M = 18.89, SD = 4.23).

Conclusion: These outcomes furnish robust substantiation for the efficacy of TA group programming in augmenting self-worth among Kerala's collegiate population. Such findings carry significant ramifications for psychological counseling provisions and wellness initiatives within academic establishments throughout the region.