The Effect of Intimate Behavior Teaching on the Tendency toward Triangular Relationship

Intimate marital relationships are often recognized as a basic psychological need and one of the key features of marital relationships that affect marital adjustment. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of teaching intimate behavior on the reduction of the tendency toward triangular relationships. The study has a quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design and involves a control group. 30 subjects were selected from among approximately 200 clients suffering from triangular relationship syndrome who had visited Sina Consultation Center in Hamedan, Iran, from March to September 2018. The subjects were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. Data were collected through a questionnaire developed by the researchers to measure the desire for a triangular relationship. First, pre-test data were collected from both groups. Next, the experimental group received a 12-session course on intimate behavior while the control group underwent no treatment. Finally, post-test data were collected from all subjects. ANCOVA analysis of the data indicates that teaching intimate behavior to married women could reduce their tendency toward triangular relationships. Also, it could reduce intimate conversations with others, the tendency toward self-disclosure, desire for spending time with others, and going out with a third person.