Comparison of the Effectiveness of Relationship Enrichment Training and Life Skills Training in Reducing Marital Conflict and Violence

Abstract

Conflict and violence are issues that couples experiencing continuous discord often suffer from, making it essential to implement effective interventions to reduce these problems. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of relationship enrichment training and life skills training in reducing marital discord and violence among couples. The research method was a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group. The study population consisted of 18- to 40-year-old couples who visited family counseling centers in Sirjan in 1403 (Iranian calendar year). The sample size was 45, randomly divided into three groups of 15: a control group, an experimental group for relationship enrichment training, and an experimental group for life skills training. The first experimental group participated in eight 45-minute sessions of relationship enrichment training, while the second experimental group received life skills training in eight 45-minute sessions. Meanwhile, the control group did not receive any specific therapeutic intervention during this period. The tools used in this study included the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (2019) and the Senstock Domestic Violence Questionnaire (1991). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used for data analysis. The results showed that both relationship enrichment training and life skills training significantly impacted the reduction of marital discord and violence (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of relationship enrichment training and life skills training in reducing marital discord and violence (P > 0.05).

Keywords: Training, Couples' Relationship Enrichment, Life Skills, Conflict, Violence, Couples