Marital commitment

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of brief imago-based skills training on self-compassion, quality of life and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce. The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and follow-up design. The population included all women who filed for divorce, either referring or were referred to the psychological and counseling centers under the supervision of Welfare Organization in Neishabour. The sample was selected purposively. Then, 30 women were randomly assigned to the experimental and the control groups (i.e., each group included 15 participants). Data collection instruments included Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (2003), World Health Organization’s short form of Quality of Life Scale (1989) and Adams and Jones’ Marital Commitment Questionnaire (1997). Data analysis was performed through multiple analyses of variance using SPSS software (version 25). The results showed that brief imago-based skills training positively affected self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce. Furthermore, the effectiveness of imago-based skills training in self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce was sustained. As a result, this treatment can be used by psychologists, counselors, and clinicians in psychological interventions related to self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the structural model of loneliness and marital commitment with an attitude toward extra-marital relationships, with the mediation of identity styles in married women and men. Methods: For the research design, we used correlation and structural equation modeling. Statistical population including all married women and men of Ramsar City, among whom 230 individuals were selected through convenience sampling and responded to the Loneliness Scale Russell et al., (1980), Marital Commitment Questionnaire Adams & Jones (1997), Extra-marital Relationships Attitudes Questionnaire Wheatley's, (2008), and Identity Styles Scale Berzonsky (1989). All data were analyzed using SPSS 26, AMOS 24, and Macro Preacher & Hayes' (2008) program. Results: The findings indicated that loneliness and diffuse-avoidant identity styles have a significant and positive effect on the attitude toward extra-marital relationships, while marital commitment and commitment identity style have a significant and negative effect on the attitude toward extra-marital relationships. Bootstrapping results showed that information identity style, diffuse-avoidant identity styles, and commitment identity style play a mediating role in the relationships between loneliness and the attitude toward extra-marital relationships. Marital commitment indirectly affects the attitude toward extra-marital relationships through information identity style and commitment identity style. Conclusion: The research findings, by confirming the influential role of loneliness, marital commitment, and identity styles on extra-marital relationships, provide appropriate implications for work in the field of extra-marital relationships for practitioners in the family domain.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) on marital commitment, love schemas, and emotional schemas in couples with extramarital affairs. Methods: This research employed a semi-experimental single-case design with a multiple baseline method. The statistical population of this study included all couples with experience of extramarital affairs who referred to family courts and the prevention unit of the welfare organization in Dezful city in the year 2022. A total of 4 couples (8 individuals) were selected through purposeful sampling. The EFCT process was conducted in three baseline stages, across 8 sessions of 90 minutes each, with a two-month follow-up. Participants responded to the Marital Commitment Questionnaire by Adams and Jones (1997), the Love Schema Questionnaire by Yarahmadi-Vaseli et al. (2020), and the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LES) (2002). Data were analyzed using visual inspection, reliable change index, and percentage improvement formula. Findings: The results indicated that EFCT led to an increase in marital commitment in couples with extramarital affairs (P<0.05), and the effects persisted until the follow-up stage. Additionally, the results showed that EFCT resulted in an increase in adaptive emotional schemas and a decrease in maladaptive emotional schemas in these couples (P<0.05). EFCT had a significant impact on secure love schema, unstable love schema, clingy love schema, avoidant love schema, and unserious love schema (P<0.05), with effects lasting until the follow-up stage. Furthermore, the results indicated that EFCT did not have a significant impact on reducing unserious love schema and uninterested love schema (P>0.05). Conclusion: Therefore, EFCT can be utilized as a sustainable intervention to enhance marital commitment, love schemas, and emotional schemas in healthcare and therapeutic centers for couples with extramarital affairs.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a forgiveness-based intervention in enhancing marital commitment and restoring trust among married individuals experiencing relational distress. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 married participants from Indonesia, randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The intervention group received six structured forgiveness-based therapy sessions over six weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Standardized measures of marital commitment and trust were administered at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and five-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, with SPSS version 27. Findings: Results from repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant time × group interaction effects for marital commitment (F(2, 54) = 17.12, p < .001, η² = .39) and trust (F(2, 54) = 19.68, p < .001, η² = .42). Bonferroni post-hoc analyses indicated that both marital commitment and trust significantly increased from pre-test to post-test (p < .001) and were maintained at the five-month follow-up (p < .001), with no significant decline between post-test and follow-up (p > .05). Conclusion: The therapeutic gains were not only immediate but also sustained over time, supporting the use of structured forgiveness interventions in marital counseling settings. These findings highlight the potential of forgiveness as a valuable tool in relationship repair and emotional healing.