Gender and Content Differences in Domain and Focus of Homework Used in Couple Therapy

Abstract

The assignment of tasks, or therapeutic homework, by a mental health professional for clients to complete provides clients with an opportunity to practice targeted skills or apply lessons learned in therapy sessions to practical situations. While the assignment of homework by mental health professionals is commonplace, less is known about the content domain of homework, or how homework might be distributed in terms of focus or actor. We present the results of an examination of the gender, focus, and thematic content distributions for individuals of homework tasks in a sample of (n = 66) individuals in heterosexual couples engaged in couple therapy. Findings suggested that most of the between-session activities completed are specific and clear in nature and are focused on skill-building tasks. The outcome of the homework was nearly equally split between couples and individuals, suggesting that participants, while in couple therapy, were also engaged in some personal development. Women reported more self-improvement work compared to men, and men reported more behavioral targeted in-between session activities. Findings provided a preliminary indication that much of the work done by clients between sessions did not seem to have been explicitly assigned by a therapist. Implications for therapists and suggestions for homework provision are discussed.