Application of reaction method based on the meanings hidden in overt behaviors and its effect on marital adaptability

The present study aimed to examine a method focused on reacting based on the hidden meanings of overt behaviors and its effect on marriage adaptability.

This was a quasi-experimental study. Participants were sixty clients referred to psychological and counseling centers in Karaj, Iran with marital adjustment problems. They were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into two groups of fifteen pairs: experimental and control groups. The Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), was used to collect information about research variables. Couples in the experimental group received a combination of self-monitoring and self-regulatory therapy for ten sessions to modify their communication actions. The control group only received the usual care.

The results showed that compared to the control group, marital adaptability significantly improved in the experimental group at post-treatment and at two-months follow-up assessments (p<0.05).

The findings suggest that method of reacting based on the hidden meanings of overt behaviors using the model of self-monitoring and self-regulation could be effective.