The Effect of Short-Term Semi-Structured Art-Based Intervention on Executive Functions and Psychological Symptoms in High School Students: Preliminary Findings Cover Image

Lise Öğrencilerinde Kısa Süreli Yarı Yapılandırılmış Sanat Temelli Müdahalenin Yürütücü İşlevler ve Psikolojik Belirtiler Üzerine Etkisi: Ön Bulgular
The Effect of Short-Term Semi-Structured Art-Based Intervention on Executive Functions and Psychological Symptoms in High School Students: Preliminary Findings

Author(s): Nihan Özant, Hatice Kafadar
Subject(s): Educational Psychology, Behaviorism, Sociology of Art, Sociology of Education
Published by: Sanat ve Dil Araştırmaları Enstitüsü
Keywords: art-based intervention; working memory; inhibition; depression; high school student;

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of five weeks of art-based intervention applications on working memory, inhibition, psychological symptoms, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in adolescents. The research was conducted using a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design with random assignment at the grade level. Two of the four 10th-grade students who volunteered to participate were assigned to the intervention group, and two to the control group. The intervention group participated in art-based intervention sessions lasting 40–45 minutes once a week for five weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Before and after the intervention, all participants completed the Letter-Number Sequence Test, Stroop Test TBAG Form, Brief Symptom Inventory, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale, and Self-Regulation Scale. Data were analyzed using mixed-methods analysis of covariance for 2 (Group) × 2 (Time) repeated measures, with gender, age, and post-test administrator variables included as covariates in the model. The findings showed significant group × time interactions favoring the intervention group in Letter-Number Sequence test and Stroop test performance. While a shift in depression scores favoring the intervention group was observed in terms of psychological symptoms, this finding did not retain statistical significance after Holm–Bonferroni correction. No significant group × time interactions were found in cognitive emotion regulation strategies, self-regulation, and other psychological symptom subdimensions. In conclusion, these findings suggest that short-term art-based intervention may support executive functions such as working memory and inhibition in adolescents within the scope of school-based preventive mental health practices.

  • Issue Year: 14/2026
  • Issue No: 37
  • Page Range: 60-81
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Turkish
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