Developing a Native Training Package of Schema Mode Cards and Examining its Effectiveness in Improving Marital Conflict

The present study aimed to develop a native training package of schema mode cards and determine its effectiveness in improving marital conflict.

The present study was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and two-month control and follow-up, and its statistical population consisted of 32 couples who visited Behraz Counseling Center, Aram Counseling Center, with a wise life in the first six months of 2020. After screening with the Marital Conflict Scale by Straus (1979), 18 eligible couples were selected using the convenience method and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (8 couples) and the control group (8 couples). The experimental group was intervened by the schema mode cards for twelve 90-minute sessions, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

The results indicated the impact of native schema mode card intervention on the total score of marital conflict (F=14.52, p=0.001), verbal dimension (F=26.31, p=0.001), neglect (F=41.73, P=0.001), honesty (F=47.08, P=0.001), and termination (F=40.85, p=0.001), and misbehavior (F=12.74, P=0.001), and the stability of this effect at the follow-up stage.

The research results suggest that the developed training package of schema modes flashcards has validity and also decreases marital conflicts in spouses.