marital adjustment

This study aimed to evaluate causal explanation of the relationship between emotional expression and marital maladjustment based on the mediating role of empathy in divorce stage couples. This research conducted through a descriptive method and the study design was correlation in the form of path analysis. The statistical population consisted all couples applied for divorce (aged 30-50) who referred to the counseling centers of the Judiciary in Tehran during2020-2021. The sample size determined 396 cases and selected through convenience sampling method. In order to collect the information, standard questionnaires of marital maladjustment, couple empathy, and emotional expression were used. Data's analyzed in the SPSS 21 and AMOS 24 software's. Data analysis showed the model fit of emotional expression relationship with marital maladjustment by mediated role of couple's empathy. The model explained about 34% of the variance of marital maladjustment in divorce applicants. Based on these findings, it can be said that the relationship between marital maladjustment and emotional expression is not a direct relationship and factors such as marital empathy can strengthen or weaken this relationship, so in trainings related to emotional expression, it is suggested to consider these variables.

Objective:   The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between action flexibility and personality traits with marital adjustment in married students. Methods: The present study was a descriptive correlational study. In this study, 400 married students of Shahrood Azad University in the academic year 2020-2021 were selected by convenience sampling method. Action flexibility questionnaire, personality traits questionnaire and marital adjustment questionnaire were used to collect data. Data was analyzed simultaneously using SPSS software version 21 through statistical method of Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results:  Findings showed that there was a significant relationship between action flexibility and marital adjustment. There was also a significant correlation between the components of extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience with marital adjustment; but there was no significant correlation between the components of honesty-humility, emotionality and conscientiousness with marital adjustment. Conclusion: Action Flexibility allows the individual to adapt well to the traumatic events of life, and individuals successfully demonstrate positive adaptation to traumatic events, which can be related to and lead to marital adjustment. Personality traits cause people to react differently to life issues and problems. The more people are able to control stress, the less they use emotion-based coping techniques that lead to incompatibility.  

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a combination of emotion-oriented and solution-focused therapy on anger and marital adjustment in women with marital conflict. Methods: This study was applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental data collection method with pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included women with marital conflicts in Tehran in 2019. Thirty women with marital conflicts were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of combined emotional and pathological therapy for two and a half months, while the control group did not receive the present intervention. The questionnaires used in this study included the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), Anger Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (MAQ). The data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: The results showed that the combination of emotion-oriented and solution-focused therapy on anger management (P 000 0001; Eta = 0.41; F = 12.71) and marital adjustment (P 000 0001; Eta = 0.45; 15.25 F) Women are affected. Conclusion: Considering the significant effect of combination therapy based on emotion and solution, it is recommended to use this combination therapy in order to improve marital adjustment and anger of women with marital conflicts.

Objective: The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) on intimacy, marital adjustment, and forgiveness among couples with a history of extramarital affairs. Methods: The research design was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest with a control group. The study population included all women in Tehran who were affected by their husbands' extramarital relationships in 2022. A sample of 30 women affected by such relationships and visiting counseling centers in District 2 of Tehran was selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group in equal numbers. The research instruments included the Thompson and Walker (1983) Intimacy Scale, the Spanier (1976) Marital Adjustment Questionnaire, and the Rye et al. (2001) Forgiveness Questionnaire. The experimental group received EFCT in eight 60-minute sessions over a month; the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with the aid of SPSS version 23 software. Findings: The findings indicated that EFCT significantly improved intimacy (p < 0.01), marital adjustment (p < 0.01), and marital forgiveness (p < 0.01). Conclusion: It can be concluded that Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy effectively enhances intimacy, adjustment, and forgiveness in couples with a history of extramarital affairs.

Objective: The present study aimed to model the structural equations of marital adjustment with early maladaptive schemas considering the mediating role of marriage styles in men. Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included married men from the general population in districts 2, 7, and 11 of Tehran in the first quarter of 2022. A total of 300 men were selected as the research sample using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (Busby et al., 1995), Young Schema Questionnaire (Young, 1994), and a researcher-made Marriage Styles Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling with SPSS-24 and AMOS-24 software. Findings: The results indicated a good fit for the model linking marital adjustment with early maladaptive schemas and marriage styles. The final model fit indices showed a negative and significant relationship between early maladaptive schemas and marital adjustment. Additionally, marriage styles mediated the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and marital adjustment. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that since marriage is one of the significant life decisions, focusing on early maladaptive schemas and pre-marital education can enhance marital adjustment, improve marriage styles, and sustain relationships, thereby increasing the marital quality of life.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of self-compassion and marital self-regulation on marital adjustment among married women attending counseling centers in Tehran in 2023. It sought to enrich the understanding of how these psychological constructs contribute to marital satisfaction and stability. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 350 married women selected through available sampling from various counseling centers in Tehran. Measures included the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) to assess marital adjustment, the Self-Compassion Scale developed by Neff (2003) for evaluating self-compassion levels, and a 16-item scale by Wilson et al. (2005) for measuring marital self-regulation. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27, with linear regression analyses performed to explore the relationships between the constructs. Findings: The findings revealed that both self-compassion and marital self-regulation significantly predicted marital adjustment among the participants. Specifically, higher levels of self-compassion and marital self-regulation were associated with better marital adjustment. The regression model explained 37% of the variance in marital adjustment scores, highlighting the substantial impact of these factors on marital satisfaction. Conclusion: This study underscores the critical importance of self-compassion and marital self-regulation in fostering marital adjustment. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing these psychological resources could contribute significantly to improving marital satisfaction and relationship stability among couples, particularly those seeking counseling services.

Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest-follow-up framework was employed, involving two experimental groups (ACT and RT) and one control group. The sample consisted of 54 incompatible married individuals (18 per group) recruited from psychological centers in District 7 of Tehran. Participants completed the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale at pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages. The ACT intervention comprised 8 weekly sessions focusing on mindfulness, acceptance, and value-based actions, while the RT intervention consisted of 8 sessions emphasizing need satisfaction and responsible behavior. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to assess changes over time and between groups. Findings: Both ACT and RT significantly improved overall marital adjustment compared to the control group, with significant interaction effects observed for dyadic cohesion (F = 11.161, p = 0.001, η² = 0.247), dyadic consensus (F = 24.787, p = 0.001, η² = 0.422), and affectional expression (F = 22.477, p = 0.001, η² = 0.398). RT demonstrated greater effectiveness in enhancing dyadic cohesion and consensus, while ACT showed stronger outcomes in improving affectional expression. Post-hoc analyses revealed significant mean differences between pretest and posttest for dyadic cohesion in RT (mean difference = -8.167, p < 0.001) and affectional expression in ACT (mean difference = 2.694, p < 0.001). Follow-up assessments indicated sustained improvements, with RT maintaining higher scores in dyadic cohesion (mean = 15.139) and consensus (mean = 25.694), and ACT in affectional expression (mean = 4.78). Conclusion: Both ACT and RT are effective interventions for improving marital adjustment, with RT being more beneficial for addressing behavioral and communication aspects of marital conflict, and ACT more effective in fostering emotional intimacy.