The Effectiveness of Couple Therapy Based on Communication Imagery on Marital Burnout and Attitudes Towards Extramarital Relationships in Conflicted Couples

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran

10.48308/apsy.2024.236395.1682

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of couple's therapy based on communication imagery on marital burnout and attitudes toward extramarital relationships in conflicted couples. 
Method: The current research employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all conflicted couples who visited the counseling centers of Hamedan in 2022-2023. After screening with the Marital Conflicts Questionnaire by Sanaei, Alaghemand, Felahati and Hooman (2008), 30 couples who scored above the cutoff point of 135 were purposefully selected as samples and randomly assigned to two groups (one experimental group and one control group) (15 couples in each group). The experimental group underwent a communication imagery couple therapy protocol Hendrix and Hunt (2013) held once a week in 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. The research tools included the Marital Burnout Questionnaire by Pines (1996) and the Attitude Towards Extramarital Relationships Questionnaire by Whatley (2008). Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures analysis of variance with SPSS-26 software. 
Results: communication imagery couple therapy was effective in improving burnout and reducing positive attitudes toward extramarital relationships among conflicted couples. This effect was stable during the follow-up phase as well (P=0.001).
Conclusion: It is recommended that counseling centers use communication imagery couple therapy to improve burnout and reduce positive attitudes toward extramarital relationships in conflicted couples.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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