Haworth, Anna;
(2025)
Evaluating the Impact and Engagement of an Emotion Controllability Beliefs Intervention in a UK Sixth Form College.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This doctoral thesis explores the impact of, and adolescent engagement with, the BEACH intervention²a digital, school-based programme designed to strengthen emotion controllability beliefs in a post-16 mainstream educational setting in England. Using a mixed methods approach, this study employed a two-phase sequential approach, collecting quantitative data within the first phase, followed by qualitative data in the second phase. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and investigate the factors influencing student engagement. Phase One collected quantitative data using online questionnaires, participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention (N = 179) or control group (N = 166) and completed a pre- and post-intervention survey. The results revealed that the BEACH intervention significantly improved adolescents’ emotion controllability beliefs. However, no significant changes were observed in cognitive reappraisal use or anxiety levels immediately post-intervention, suggesting that the effects of improved beliefs may take longer to translate into broader emotional and mental health outcomes. Adolescent engagement did not moderate the intervention’s effectiveness, and demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status), and prior emotion controllability beliefs, cognitive reappraisal use, and anxiety level were not found to predict engagement with the intervention. Phase Two collected qualitative data and was comprised of semi-structured interviews (N = 9), provided a rich understanding of the facilitators and barriers to engagement, alongside adolescent suggestions for improvements. 13 subthemes were identified across individual, intervention, and systemic levels. Key facilitators included accessible content, structured sessions, personal relevance, and autonomy with support. Barriers involved unclear materials, environmental distractions, low perceived relevance, and inconsistent teacher support.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Evaluating the Impact and Engagement of an Emotion Controllability Beliefs Intervention in a UK Sixth Form College |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10212219 |
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