FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2016 | Volume:3 | Issue:1|Papers Count:7

Distress in couple relationships is one of the most prevalent concerns in the recent decades that has considerable negative impacts on the biopsychosocial health of couples and their offspring. The present research aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotionally-focused and narrative couple therapy on the marital quality and emotional, cognitive and behavioral impaired functioning of distressed couples. The research design was randomized controlled trial and the sample consisted of 18 distressed couples who were randomly assigned to either NCT or EFCT as experimental groups and received between 8-12 weekly sessions of emotionally-focused couple therapy and narrative couple therapy. Also they were assessed in the screening, pre and post treatment, and follow-up stages utilizing Dyadic Adjustment Scale, The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form, Relationship Attribution Measure, Rahim Organizational conflict Inventory-2, and Millon Clinical Multiaxail Inventory-III. Results revealed that NCT leads to significant change in the marital quality and behavioral impaired functioning by the end of the treatment, but the improvement was not steady at follow-up. EFCT led to significant changes in the marital quality, emotional and cognitive impaired functioning at the posttreatment. Also, in this group, behavioral impaired functioning was significantly improved at the follow-up.This improvement was steady except the attachment avoidance. Furthermore, outcomes for clinically significant changes favored EFCT both at the posttreatment and follow-up, but there were no significant differences between EFCT and NCT in the recovery rates in both assessment points.

Thinking of making a family is reaching at psychological peace and internal safety and experience of true happiness; and marital satisfaction is an important step for receiving this peace. The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of Family- based psychological program on the basis of Islamic Iranian Pattern in marital satisfaction. The study was a quasi- experimental research with pre- test, post- test and follow up with control group. The participants of this study were 40 couples assigned to experimental (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The instrument used in this study was Afrooz Marital Satisfaction Scale (AMSS). The experimental group experienced ten (90-minutes) sessions of instructional intervention held once a week. The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in improving marital satisfaction in pre-test, post-test and follow up steps. The Family-based program on the basis of Islamic Iranian Pattern has been effective in improving marital satisfaction. The findings of this study point to the key role of communication skills, self- consciousness, sex relationships, anger management, problem- solving, positive thinking, parenting and time management in the Islamic Iranian pattern and it, s effect on marital satisfaction. This program is recommended for training couples in counseling centers.

Sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment are the important aspects of married life that strictly affect the quality and stability of the relationship between couples. Studies have shown that several factors including psychological, social, economic, personal and demographic characteristics affect the sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment. The aim of the present study was to predict the levels of sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment based on job variables, commitment, intimacy and sexual knowledge and attitude. For this purpose, 100 employees of the Oil Company (50 expatriate, 50 non-employees) were selected as sample group using a convenience sampling method. Participants completed The Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual State Questionnaire (GRISS), The Golombok-Rust Inventory of Marital State Questionnaire (GRIMS), Table of job information, Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (DCI), Intimacy Scale (IS), and the Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale (SKAS). The results showed that no significant correlation existed between sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment with job variables, while the commitment, intimacy and sexual knowledge and attitude had a positive relationship with sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment. Also, sexual satisfaction could be predicted by intimacy and sexual knowledge and attitude. Marital adjustment was also predicted by the commitment and intimacy. The results also showed that among the variables, intimacy had the largest share in prediction of sexual satisfaction and commitment had the largest share in prediction of marital adjustment. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that job variables do not affect sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment, while the commitment, intimacy and sexual knowledge and attitude play a determining role in prediction of sexual satisfaction and marital adjustment.

In many couples, the primary positive feelings are decreased by passing time and are replaced with acute conflicts. Using destructive conflict resolution styles increases the distance between the couples, while their ability to apply problem solving skills can be a factor to improve the couples' relationships. The present study was conducted aiming at determining the effectiveness of Olson Circumference Model in the couples’ resiliency and marital conflicts. The present study was an experimental research of pretest-posttest type with a control group. Participants of the study were 20 couples assigned to the experimental and the control groups. The experimental group was then influenced by the Olson Circumplex Model during eight (90-120 minutes) instruction held once a week. The instruments of the study were Resiliency Scale (CD-RISC) and Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ). The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group in resiliency and marital conflicts. It can be concluded that training in the Olson Circumplex Model has increased resiliency and decreased marital conflict in couples and this effect was durable over the time. Considering the findings of the present research, it can also be concluded that the Olson Circumplex Model can be used by specialists and family therapists.

Life skills are considered the most important parameters in marital relations and life expectancy. Today, life skills are regarded as one of the most practical trainings for decreasing marital conflicts and preventing divorce. The study aimed at investigating life skills training effectiveness in increasing marital satisfaction and hopefulness. The study was an experimental research with pre-test, post-test with control group. Participants of the study included 20 couples assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group experienced a 10 session, 2 hour instructional intervention held once a week. The instruments of the study were Evaluating & Nurturing Relationship Issues Communication and Happiness Questionnaire (ENRICH) and Sneider and et al’s Hopefulness Questionnaire (HQ). The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group. The results also indicated that life skills training applications can strengthen marital life and increase couples, marital satisfaction and hopefulness.

The Affective Events Theory (AET) is a psychological model that was developed by Weiss and Cropanzano. According to this theory, a person's emotional responses to events in the workplace will increasingly determine his or her future attitudes and behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine this theory by exploring the relationship between work-family enrichment and organizational citizenship behavior through job satisfaction and positive mood. Two hundred and seventy employees of National Iranian Drilling Company participated in this study. For data collection, participants completed the Work-to-Family Enrichment Scale (WFES), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ) and the Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale (OCBS). Results indicated that work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment significantly correlated with organizational citizenship behavior through positive mood and job satisfaction. These results confirm the Affective Events Theory. The findings have been discussed based on mood as information and Affective Events Theories. The findings also indicated that some important organizational factors such as positive mood, job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviors are not only under influence of job conditions, but are influenced by family circumstances.

Perspective taking as the cognitive aspect of empathy, is the ability to put oneself in other persons, place. This means that a person understands another person's situation and walks with his or her shoes. It seems that perspective taking is a feature which is equaly used to increase positive interactions between the romantic and nonromantic relationships. The Self Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale (SDPT) includes items that measure the view of people in couple relationships and Other Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale (ODPT) includes items that measure people, s perceptions of their partners. The aim of the present study was evaluating the psychometric properties of the Self Dyadic Perspective-Taking and Other Dyadic Perspective-Taking scales. A total of 300 married men and women (148 men and 152 women), in Ahvaz, participated in this study. All participants were asked to complete the Self Dyadic Perspective Taking and Other Dyadic Perspective Taking Scales and Batson Empathy Adjective Scale (BEAS). This study confirmed the two-factor structure of Self Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale and two-factor structure of Other Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale. Findings also showed that the Self Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale and the Other Dyadic Perspective-Taking scale are valid and reliable scales for measuring perspective taking. Findings showed that these scales can be used in research studies and the use of these scales in premarital consultation and couple therapy is recommended to psychologists and family counselors.