Abstract

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of the Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) conducted with a video call method in the prolonged COVID-19 era on interpersonal problems and emotional expression quantities of college students. Participants of this study were students of University D in Busan. From voluntarily applied subjects, 30 people were selected by random sampling. Of them, 10 people were randomly assigned to each of the following three groups: an online group, a face-to-face group, and a control group. The online group received the ACT through video call group counseling, and the face-to-face group received the ACT program in the form of a direct meeting. ACT program consisted of a total of 8 sessions. It was conducted once a week, for 60-90 minutes per session. Preliminary, post and later inspection tests were conducted using the interpersonal problem scale and the emotional expression ambivalence scale. In order to verify the homogeneity among the three groups in the prior test, the prior scores of each dependent variable were compared with one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA). To verify the research problem, a two-way repeat measurement analysis of variance (Two-Way RMANOVA) was used to compare scores of the three groups. Paired t-test was performed for the Pre, Post, and Post-F/U test measurements of the three groups. As a result of the analysis, interpersonal problems and emotional expression ambivalence of college students in the online group and in the face-to-face group participating in the program were significantly reduced compared to those of college students in the control group. The effect of ACT continued. Limitations and implications of this study for future research are also discussed.