Comparison of the Effect of Imago Relationship Therapy and Feldman's Integrated Approach on Marital Commitment in Conflicting Couples

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Marriage has always been considered as the starting point of the family and hence is a complex and very delicate form of human relationship. Commitment is one of the critical predictors of an individuals' willingness to stay in a marriage and a determinant factor regarding its time and quality. In this regard, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of imago relationship therapy (IRT) and Feldman's integrated approach on marital commitment in conflicting couples in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental applied research was conducted based on a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all of the conflicted couples who referred to the Department of Women's Affairs in the Post Bank of the District 6 of Tehran municipality and a Psychological Clinic in the District 22 of Tehran municipality in 2018. In total, 30 couples were enrolled in the study who were equally divided into two groups of intervention and control. The required data were collected using the marital conflict questionnaire developed by Barati and Sanei (1998) and marital commitment questionnaire developed by Adams and Jones (1997). Moreover, the collected data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. Results: Based on the results, both the IRT and Feldman's integrated approach affected the personal (F=27.63, P<0.001), ethical (F=69.70, P<0.001), and structural commitment (F=40.51, P<0.001). Nevertheless, IRT affected marital commitment more than the Feldman's integrated approach. Conclusion: It can be concluded that IRT and Feldman's integrated approach can improve the marital commitment of conflicting couples.