Behavioral Therapy for Marital Disharmony: An Educational Approach*

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Abstract
A behavioral approach to marital therapy in groups includes training in communication skills; increasing the recognition, initiation, and acknowledgement of pleasing interactions; redistributing time spent in recreational and social activities; and contingency contracting. These treatment modules are offered during eight to 10 sessions spaced over a three month period. The specific techniques are imbedded in a matrix consisting of an alliance between the spouses and the co‐therapists, and group cohesiveness. Evaluations of the approach with 40 couples indicate that the group methods produce statistically significant improvements in marital satisfaction. An experimental comparison revealed that the behavioral methods led to significantly greater improvements in the observed interactions between spouses than in a group which used a discussion‐interaction format.

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