Effects of a relaxation intervention on college students´social-emotional competence: study protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Higher education path is often marked by personal challenges which often overwhelm students, leading them, in some situations, to emotional exhaustion. Thus, it is essential to promote students’ social-emotional competence, allowing them to better deal with the stressful daily events. Social-emotional competence helps students to adapt their ability to feel, understand, and regulate emotions and behaviors, contributing to their well-being and enabling them to establish and maintain positive relationships. Aim: The present study aims to analyze the effects of a psychomotor relaxation program on college students’ social-emotional competence, and in their personal and professional development. Methods and procedures: The study follows a repeated measures design, which in the participants will be tested on two occasions, 4 weeks apart to establish a baseline measure (pretest 1 and pretest 2), and then will engage in an 8-week psychomotor relaxation program. Participants will be tested again after the intervention program (post-test). The intervention program will comprise two 20-minute sessions per week combining body awareness, muscle tone regulation, and breathing exercises. Students’ social-emotional competence will be measured through questionnaires and through the biochemical analysis of salivary cortisol (a stress indicator). The personal and professional development of the participants will be assessed through structured interviews. The collected data will be analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program, in order to assess the impact and effectiveness of the intervention program.