COMPARISON OF A RELIGIOUS MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM WITH AN ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION TRAINING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

MICHAEL DENNIS WARNER, Purdue University

Abstract

This study built on research suggesting that the more similar providers and recipients of treatments are on relevant variables, the more likely treatment outcomes will be positive. Specifically, the study assessed treatment effects of therapist-client similarity along the religious dimension. A marriage enrichment program incorporating religious couples' spiritual and theological values was compared with an already extant standard communication training program, the Couples Communication Program. Also, both programs were compared with a no-treatment control group. Specific goals of the study included the following: (1) To assess short- and long-term effects of using a "language" common to religious participants, the "language" of religion, on self-report and behavioral measures dealing with relationship quality and communication; (2) to compare these effects with those obtained on identical measures by participants experiencing an alternate enrichment program utilizing the "language" of secular communication skills; (3) to control therapist and treatment variables so that any observed differences between the two treatments could not be attributed to therapist bias, differences in therapist competency across groups, or treatment format differences. The methodological significance of the study consisted in the construction of an experimental treatment in such a way that its comparison with an alternate treatment could be truly meaningful. Both treatments were remarkably similar in format, so that outcome differences between treatments could be said to result from differences in treatment contents themselves rather than due to therapist or treatment confounds. Participants were couples whose husbands were enrolled in a Midwestern Lutheran seminary. Pre-, post-, and delayed posttest measures two months following treatment were obtained on the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory self-report and the Communication Rapid Assessment Scale behavioral instrument. Analysis of covariance revealed no significant differences between groups on the behavioral measure at post- or delayed post-test. Combining the two treatment groups and comparing the new group's scores with no-treatment controls likewise revealed nonsignificance. Comparison of treatments and controls across time with repeated measures ANCOVA produced nonsignificance both when individual treatments were compared with each other and controls, and also when treatments were combined into one group and compared with controls. When Relationship Inventory scores were adjusted for ceiling effect, religious enrichment group participants scored significantly higher than Couples Communication participants and controls on the Congruence subscale. Near-significant gains over Couples Communication participants by religious group participants were obtained also on the Empathy and Unconditionality subscales. These results occurred at post-test; they were not maintained at delayed post-test. Some evidence was obtained indicating that enrichment per se increased couples' ability to be empathic over time, when scores from both treatment groups were combined and compared with controls using repeated measures ANCOVA.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology

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