The impact of a marriage checkup with transgender couples

Abstract

This study aims to fill the gaps in relationship wellness intervention research by providing a relationship wellness program, the Marriage Check (MC), to transgender couples. Transgender couples (defined, for this study, as couples where one or both partners self-identify as transgender) may benefit from an MC as a brief prevention program to support relationship health. The research question for this study was: What is the impact of a Marriage Checkup on transgender couples’ relationship satisfaction? Researchers created a small pilot study using single-subject design methods – specifically a non-concurrent, multiple-baseline, and a multiple-probe design. Three couples participated in this investigation in which one or both partners identified themselves as transgender. The MC and relationship satisfaction were the independent and dependent variables, respectively. Findings from the visual analysis and non-overlapping of pairs (NAP .87) showed that the MC positively influenced relationship satisfaction for all three couples. The outcomes of the study suggest that the MC may increase relationship satisfaction for some transgender couples. Further research is worth pursuing in this field.