The Meta-analysis of the Results of the Psychological Intervention Programs Research for the Development of Executive Functions among Normal and Special Needs Individuals

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Lecturer of Educational Psychology and Statistics, Faculty of Education for Boys in Cairo, Al-Azhar University

Abstract

The current research aimed at revealing the size of the common effect of psychological intervention programs that aimed at developing executive functions for normal and special needs individuals using the meta-analysis method, and to determine the extent of the difference in the effect size of these programs according to the type of the research sample (normal, with special needs). In order to verify this, the researcher used the meta-analysis method in collecting and analyzing the results of preliminary studies and research that were conducted between the years (2015: 2023) in Egypt and the Arab countries. Their number, after being subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria, was (23) studies and research with (24) effect size. In conducting the meta-analysis, the researcher relied on the random effect model and the statistical methods of heterogeneity tests, the significance of mean of the common effect size, the subgroup analysis, the assessment of publication bias, and the comprehensive meta-analysis program (CMA.3) to answer the research questions. The results of the research found that there was a large effect size for programs that aimed at developing executive functions among normal and special needs individuals, where the mean value of the common effect size was (2.605) with a standard error of (0.166), and confidence intervals ranged between (2.279: 2.930), which was a large effect size and statistically significant at (0.01) level.  The results of the research also found that there was no difference in the effect size of the programs that aimed at developing executive functions according to the difference in the sample type (normal, with special needs), or according to the difference in categories of individuals with special needs, where all the values of (Qb) based on the analysis of variance between groups were not statistically significant. The results also revealed the existence of publication bias, and it was corrected by the method of deletion and addition, so the value of the common effect size changed to (2.098). The results were discussed and interpreted in the light of the theoretical framework and the results of previous studies and research and their characteristics.                                                                                                  

Keywords

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