The Effectiveness of Positive Psychology on Reviving Couples' Attractiveness, Self-Compassion and Gratitude among Women with Marital Problems

The motivation of humans is to create a good and intimate bond with their spouse. This motivation and bond come with various benefits, including increased health and well-being (1). The most prominent factor in the collapse of the family is the damage called divorce, which has devastating effects on the individual, the family and the community. Therefore, to the extent possible, efforts should be made to prevent divorce within families. In fact, studies have highlighted the importance of attractiveness in existing relationships. It has been shown that men with more attractive partners experience greater satisfaction in the relationship and intimacy is enhanced (3). One of the factors that can affect general health and consequently the stability of married life is self-compassion. Self-compassion can be defined as kindness and openness towards oneself. Self-compassion requires patience, acceptance, and understanding. As a process, self-compassion can be used as a skill to cope with pain or problems. Self-compassion is also a way to regulate emotions (4). Appreciation is another concept that has been explored in marital studies. The concept of appreciation can be understood from a functional approach to emotions, which suggests that emotions have evolved to help humans solve problems and adapt to their environment (5). Experiencing appreciation helps individuals find good relationships with their spouses, remember good moments in their lives, and then become closer to each other. Studies have shown that expressed appreciation brings both personal and relational benefits, such as social behavior and maintaining relationships (6). The components of maintaining attractiveness and self-compassion play a significant role in satisfaction and continuity of marital relationships. Finding psychotherapeutic methods to enhance these components among women facing difficulties can be helpful in the treatment process for these individuals. The positive psychology approach to therapy can be beneficial for marital problems. This approach focuses on increasing positive energy, emphasizing healthy relationships, and improving communication between spouses. Key principles of positive therapy include highlighting the strengths of each spouse, boosting self-esteem, and enhancing emotional connections. This approach can help you improve and strengthen your marital life. In this therapy, the quality of the relationship and positive interactions between married individuals are more focused on; as a sequence of negative interactions is more likely to lead to turmoil in the marital relationship.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this study were the women who referred to counseling centrals in Tehran city in 2019. Available sampling was used in this study. 30 clients who had marriage complaint were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group.  For the experimental group, an intervention was conducted and positive psychology training was provided. However, no educational intervention was considered for the control group.  Intervention of positive psychology was  12 sessions of 90 minutes in groups and weekly. In order to analyze the hypotheses, multivariate analysis of covariance and bonferroni pst Hoc test with repeated measures were used. Data collection tools were demographic data sheet, Karandasho's physical attractiveness questionnaire (2020), Neff's narcissism questionnaire (2003) and Mc Clife's gratitude questionnaire (2002).

The results showed that no significant difference was observed between the groups in the pretest (p<0.01). But in post-test, there was a significant difference between Experimental groups and control groups. The findings showed that the intervention method can be effective in improving the attractiveness of couples, self-compassion and appreciation of women with marital problems.

Based on the research results, it can be stated that positive psychology as an effective therapeutic approach can be used to enhance attractiveness, self-esteem, and appreciation, leading to a reduction in marital problems for couples.
The present study, like other researches in the field of behavioral sciences, has faced limitations. the lack of follow-up treatment and the weak participation of some participants due to cultural reasons were limitations faced in this research. It's important to consider these factors when interpreting the results and planning future studies.