The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Improving Relationship Quality and Increasing Marital Empathy in Couples with Marital Conflict
Keywords:
Cognitive behavioral therapy, marital conflict, relationship quality, marital empathy, intervention effectivenessAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on improving relationship quality and increasing marital empathy in couples with marital conflict.
Methodology: This experimental study used a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a five-month follow-up. The statistical population included couples with marital conflict residing in Tehran who had sought help from counseling centers. A purposive sampling method was used to select 30 couples (60 individuals) who met the inclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 couples each). The experimental group received ten 60-minute sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Instruments included the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Marital Empathy Scale by Frey, Discalzo, and Hubbard. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests via SPSS version 27.
Findings: The results revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly improved relationship quality and increased marital empathy in the experimental group compared to the control group (p = 0.000). Moreover, these improvements were maintained at the five-month follow-up, and no significant difference was observed between the posttest and follow-up stages, indicating the stability of the intervention's effects.
Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy can be considered an effective approach for enhancing relationship dynamics and empathy in couples with marital conflicts, with stable outcomes over time.
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References
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