Applied Psychology
Year:2017 | Volume:11 | Issue:3 (43) |Papers Count:8

Aim: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of logo therapy on the reduction of depression among women who were injured from infidelity. Method: Research method included quasi-experimental design with control group, pretest, posttest, and a 3 month follow-up. The statistical Population consisted of 255000 married women who living in the region 5 in Tehran in 2016. After coordinating with Shahran Health Center authorities and installation of notices at health centers in region 5 for enrollment of applicants, initial interviews were conducted with women who had the problem of the husband's infidelity. Then, 30 women who were injured from the infidelity and received the score of 11-30 in the Beck Depression Test 1978, and appropriated for entering the research were selected accessibly and assigned randomly into the experimental and control groups. The experimental group trained with logo therapy in 8 sessions 90 minutes twice a week. Each session lasted 90 minutes. Both groups, completed the Beck Depression Test 1978, before and after the training and in the follow up phase. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance. Results: Results indicated that logo therapy significantly decreased the symptoms of depression of women in experimental group in comparison of the control group and this effect is persisted at follow up (F= 19. 526, P= 0. 001). Conclusion: Logo therapy as an effective intervention method throw resuscitation of personal power and responsibility and also personal search for meaning and purpose in life, leading to improvement of the mood and decreasing the symptoms of depression of women who were injured from husband's infidelity.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine sexual intimacy and trust as moderators of the relationship between secure attachment style and marital commitment. Method: The method of research was correlational and the study population consisted of married female students (N= 1500) of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Of these, 200 female residents of dormitories were selected non randomly based on their availability and completed Farman and Henre’ s, 1999 Styles of Conduct Scale, Adams and Jones’ (1997) Marital Commitment Scale, Schaefer and Olson’ s (1981) Intimacy Scale, Rampel, Holmes and Zana’ s, 1986 Interpersonal Trust Scale. Results: There was a positive relationship between secure attachment style and marital commitment (r= 0. 40, P= 0. 001). Also sexual intimacy (β = 0. 027, P= 0. 003), and trust (β =-0. 270, P= 0. 03) could moderate the relationship between secure attachment style and marital commitment. Conclusion: As interpersonal trust and sexual intimacy could moderate the relationship between secure attachment and marital commitment, therefore it is necessary to make a normal family pay attention to sexual intimacy and interpersonal trust as well as secure attachment.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of marital life enrichment on the basis of choice theory, on quality of marital relationship and couples' intimacy. Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design with one-month follow-up. Among 89 couples who were referred to Yarestan counseling center in the city of Isfahan from October to December 2016. 33 couples who had high scores on the Golombok-Rust’ s Inventory of Marital State (1988) and low scores on Walker and Thompson's Intimacy Scale (1983) were selected (N= 15) and randomly seven couples were assigned to an experimental group and eight couples were placed in a control group. The experimental group received six, 60-minute sessions of marital enrichment based on Choice Theory Duba, Graham, Britzman & Minatrea (2009) in three phases. Data were analyzed using repeated ANOVAs. Results: Finding indicated a significant difference between the scores of the two groups in the quality of marital relationship (F= 7. 72, P= 0. 008) and marital intimacy (F= 27. 99, P= 0. 001) in post-test and after a one month follow up. Conclusion: Since the level of couples’ intimacy seems to have an effect on the quality of marital life of couples, marital life enrichment treatment based on Choice Theory may improve and increase interactions between couples, hence creating better intimacy between them and improving their marital life quality. Therefore we suggest therapists use this approach in their treatment programs.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of integrated behavioral couple therapy on the reduction of couples’ burnout and fear of intimacy. Methods: this was a quasi-experimental design study with a control group, pretest, posttest and a two-month follow up. The research population consisted of couples, who were referred to counseling centers Hamrah, Mehravar and Dinyar in region 2 of Tehran municipality from April to May 2016 (N= 121 couples). Of these, 29 couples who scored high on the Couple Burnout Scale (Pines, 1996) and Fear of Intimacy Scale Descutner & Thelen (1991) were selected and 16 of them were selected and placed in two experimental 8 couples and control 8 couples groups. The experimental group received 10 weekly sessions of Integrated Behavioral Couple Therapy intervention as outlined by Christensen, Atkins, Baucom, & Yi (2010). Each session lasted for 90 minutes. The control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Results showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the couple burnout (F= 32. 73, P= 0. 001) and fear of intimacy (F= 22. 64, P= 0. 001) in the post-test and followup. Conclusion: Due to the fact that couple burnout and fear of intimacy puts a great deal of strain upon the marital relationship, and because the integrated behavioral couple therapy with the reform and increased interaction between couples, increases satisfaction and reduces stress, it is recommended couple therapists use this intervention method as an effective treatment to reduce marital distress and fear of intimacy in couples.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between relational beliefs and attributions and marital happiness. Method: The research design was correlational, and the statistical population consisted of married couples residing in the City of Tehran whose were married for less than five years. Based on the Krejsee-Morgan’ s 1970 Table, and convenient sampling, an estimated sample of 384 individuals were selected from a variety of sources including universities, cultural centers and parks in Tehran. The Marital Happiness Scale Azrin, Naster & Jones (1973), the Relational Beliefs Inventory Idelson & Epstein (1982), and the Relational Attribution Measure Fincham & Bradbury (1992) were used to gather data. The gathered data from 315 participants was analyzed using stepwise regression. Data from 69 individuals was omitted due to incomplete questionnaires. Results: Results showed a negative relationship between relational beliefs and attributions, and marital happiness. Among the relational beliefs subscales, "disagreement is destructive" claimed a greater portion in predicting marital happiness (β = 0. 42, P= 0. 01), and amid the relational attribution subscales, the "locus of causality" was the strongest predictor of marital happiness (β = 0. 41, P= 0. 01). Conclusion: Findings showed that the more logical the couples’ relationship beliefs and the more optimistic their attributions, the more the experience of marital happiness. On the other hand, since happiness plays an important role in the stability of marital life, modification and training of relational beliefs and attributes of couples by therapists and counselors is recommended in order to increase their marital happiness.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine structural model of perfectionism, psychological well-being, and marital adjustment. Method: Method was descriptive correlational and the statistical population included all residents of Karaj City (N=1614626) in 2014. Sampling was done in two stages. Through multistage sampling in the first stage 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 regions and in the second stage five centers in every region were selected randomly from sports and cultural centers and then based on Guadagnoli & Velicer (1998) proposal about sample size in structural equation modeling, 20 people in every center volunteered and finally 500 married people (250 couples) were selected. Research tools were Frost, Marten, Lahart & Rosenblate’ s (1990) Multiple Perfectionism Scale, Ryff’ s (1989) Psychological Well-Being Scale and Spanier’ s (1976) Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The data for 405 participants after exclusion of 90 distorted questionnaires and removal of five outliers from the research process, was analyzed by structural equation modeling. Results: Results showed that psychological well-being mediates the relationship between personal standards (β = 0. 229, P= 0. 001), organization (β = 0. 064, P= 0. 047), concern over mistakes (β =-0. 212, P= 0. 001), doubts about actions (β =-0. 212, P= 0. 001), parental criticism (β =-0. 257, P= 0. 001), parental expectations (β =0. 141, P=0. 001) with marital adjustment. Conclusion: Since, low psychological well-being of couples can increase the likelihood of marital maladjustment, it is recommended that, in pre-marriage counseling and in couple therapy, to permanence of marriage specially for couples who in addition to dissatisfaction and marital conflicts, have low psychological wellbeing too, positive and negative perfectionism and psychological well-being of them be considered.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on reducing marital disaffection and increasing marital quality in women. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with a pre-posttest, control and follow up design. Statistical population consisted of 2146 mothers of male students of three high schools in Central and Kelishad region of Felavarjan province in Iran during the 2015-16 academic year. 30 mothers were selected, and randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group (selection was based on participants’ availability and informed consent). Participants completed the Marital Disaffection Scale (Kaiser, 1993) and the Marital Quality Scale (Busby, Crane, Larsen & Christensen, 2008). The experimental group participated in 10 weekly, 90 minutes sessions of ACT (Hayes, 1986). Both groups completed the questionnaires at pre and post-test, and two months following the termination of therapy. Data was analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Result: Results showed that Acceptance and Commitment group therapy significantly decreased marital disaffection (F=15. 881, P=0. 001) and increased marital quality (F=8. 594, P=0. 001) of women in the experimental group comparing to the control group and these results were persistent at follow up. Conclusion: ACT can be considered as an effective intervention approach whereby applying metaphors, emotional regulation techniques and value-based commitment, can decrease marital frustration and increase marital quality in married women.