Comparing the effectiveness of McMaster's functional model and Gottman's cognitive-systemic model in marital conflicts and emotional divorce of divorce applicants

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Counseling Department, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Counseling Department, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of McMaster's functional model and Gottman's cognitive-systemic model in marital conflicts and emotional divorce of divorce applicants. Research method: The current research method was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up design. In this research, from the number of 85 couples who referred to the psychodynamic psychological interventions clinic due to marital disputes and divorce requests during the year 2020, according to the conditions of the research and with the available sampling method, 21 couples were selected as the research sample. They were randomly placed in three groups (experimental group 1, experimental group 2 and control group). Then, the first experimental group was trained in the McMaster model (Epstein et al., 1978) during ten sessions, and the second experimental group was trained in Gutman's systemic approach (Gutman, 2019) during ten sessions. The tools used in this research were Gutman's Emotional Divorce Scale (Gutman, 2008) and Marital Conflicts Questionnaire (Shanaei, 1996), which was used in three stages: pre-test, post-test and follow-up test (three months). Results: The findings obtained from the two-way analysis of variance test (mixed) showed that both therapeutic approaches used in the research (McMaster and Gutman) reduced emotional divorce (F=1598.03; 0.001). P>) and the reduction of marital conflicts (F=207.14; P>0.001) in couples, and on the other hand, in measuring the durability of the effect, which was followed up, both approaches showed positive results. In the estimation of Bonferroni’s post hoc test, it was found that there is a significant difference between the two approaches, and this means that the effectiveness of McMaster's approach in reducing emotional divorce as well as reducing conflicts between couples is higher compared to Guttman's approach.

Keywords

References

Abbasi, M. B., Alizadeh, M., Omidvar Salmani, S., Hosseini, S. M., Khatibi, A., & Safakish, M. (2018). Divorce in Iran. Civil Registration Organization of the country, Tehran.
Amato, P. R., & Marriott, B. H. (2016). A Comparison of high-and low Distress Marriages that end in Divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family, (69)2, 621-638.
Ardalan, M., & Ardalan, F. (2016) Examining the relationship between family functioning and mental health among employees of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Quarterly Journal of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, 295 (1):21-12.
Beigi, M., & Hosseini, H. (2021). Generational difference in attitudes towards divorce in Iran: the application of the multi-level model, Strategic Studies of Iran's Social Issues, 34: 27-44.
Boterhoven de Haan, K. L., Hafekost, J., Lawrence, D. Sawyer, M. G., & Zubrick, S. R. (2015). Reliability and validity of a short version of the general functioning subscale o fthe McMaster Family Assessment Device. Family process, 54(1), 116-123.
Brown, N., Mcllwraith, T., & Gonzalez, L. T. (2020). Perspective: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, American Anthropological Association, 2nd Edition.
Carlson, J. Sperry. L & Lewis, JA. (2005). Family therapy techniques. New York: Routledge Sciences, 114 (1), 584-592.
Daemi, F., Mahdavi, N., Kianpour, S., & Kianpour Hasani, J. (2016). A review of a decade of his expertise in the field of intervention in family and marital conflicts. Journal of Pathology, Counseling and Family Enrichment, 2(2):101-83.
De Vuijst, E., & et al. (2017). Cross-sibling effects on divorce in the Netherlands. Journal of Advances in Life Course Research, (34)12, 1-9.
Ebrahimi, L., & Heidari R. (2020). Prediction of emotional divorce tendency based on personality traits, metacognitive beliefs and emotional maturity of couples. Scientific Journal of Counseling, 19(74): 61-26.
Ebrahimi, L., & Mohammadlou, M. (2021). A systematic review of the underlying factors of consensual divorce of couples in the last decade in Iran (88-98). Women and Society, 12: 19-29.
Eslahi, N., Arefi, M., Hosseini Al-Sadat, S., & Amiri, H. (2018) Comparison of the effectiveness of Gutman's emotion-oriented and cognitive-systemic couple therapy on marital harmony of conflicted couples. Journal of Psychological Sciences, 17(71): 856-849.
Faircloth WB, Cummings EM. (2008). Evaluating a parent education program for preventing the negative effects of marital conflict. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology; 29 (2): 141-156.
focused therapy. Current Opinion in psychology, 13, 65–69.
Fuladi, A., & Shah Nemati Gavgani, N. (2015) on the causes of divorce in East Azarbaijan Province (Tabriz). Cultural Research Society, Research Institute of Human Sciences and Cultural Studies, 6(2): 109
Ghazanfari, B., Keshavarzi Arshadi, F., Hasani, F., & Emamipour, S. (2017). The effectiveness of couple therapy based on choice theory on conflict resolution styles and relationship quality of incompatible couples. Applied Psychology Quarterly, 12(45), 62-47.
Gottman J, Gottman J. (2019) The Alphabet of Couple Therapy. Translated by Fatemeh Naderi and Abbas Moziri. Tehran: Arjmand.
Harvey, M. Couple Therapy, translated by Khodabakhsh Ahmadi and Zahra Akhavi and Ali Akbar Rahimi, Tehran: Dangier Publishing, 2012; 123.
Heshmati, R., Gharadaghi Jafari, I., & Gholizadegan, M. (2017). Prediction of marital instability of couples seeking separation with knowledge of demographic identifiers, full-fledged mind and emotional resilience. Journal of Family Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7(23): 1-22.
Hewitt, B. & Churchill, B. (2020). Convergence and difference: Marriage and family life from a cross-cultural perspective Cross-Cultural Family Research and Practice (pp. 57-102): Elsevier.
Jalali, N., Heydari, H., Davodi, H., & Al-Yasin, S. A. (2019). Comparison of the effect of the educational intervention based on the emotional approach and Gutman's relationship enrichment approach on the marital conflict of a group of women in Khomein city. Bi Quarterly Journal of Cultural Psychology, 3(1): 41-62.
Kalantari, A., Roshan Fekr, P., & Javaheri, J. (2011). A review of three decades of research on the causes of divorce in Iran. Quarterly Journal of the Social Cultural Council of Women and Family (Women's Leadership Studies), 4(53): 129-162.
Karaei, A., Khaleghi, M., & Shahbazi, M. (2021) Identifying the causes of childless women's divorce (initial stage of marital life cycle). Women and Society, 2: 177-189.
Lopez, A. G., & Cuarteros, K. G. (2020). Exploring the effects of social media on Interpersonal communication among family members. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 12(1), 66-80.
Matin, H., & Hayati, M. (2017). The effectiveness of imagotherapy group training on women's defense mechanisms and problem solving. Scientific Research Quarterly of Allameh Tabatabai University, 8(32): 87-63.
Mehrabi, D. (2020) The position of the family in media literacy research in Iran (systematic review). World Media Journal (Persian version), 14(1): 112-128.
Moltafet, H., Shahpari, D., & Hashemi, F. (2020). Examining the dynamics of divorce in Iran in the period 2004-2014. Family Studies, 16(64): 568-547.
Peleg-Koriat, I., Weimann-Saks, D., & Ben-Ari, R. (2018). The relationship between power
perception and couple's conflict management strategy. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy
Rahmani Firozeh Jah, A., Jafari Baei, M., Foroutan, Y., & Pahlavan, M. (2021) Changes in family structure from the perspective of registration statistics (case study: Khorasan Bozor). Khorasan Social Cultural Studies, 60: 7-46.
Rezaei, A. M., Mirzadeh Koh Shahi, F., & Yaghoubi Torki, E. (2017) Emotional interactions of couples and its role in emotional divorce and divorce. Family Studies Quarterly, 13(52): 585-604.
Rossi, F. S., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., & Rudd, B. N. (2016). Intimate partner violence and child custody. Parenting plan evaluations: applied research for the family court.
Sbarra, D. A., & Coan, J. A. (2017). Divorce and health: Good data in needof better theory. Journal of Current Opinion in Psychology, (13)2, 91-95.
Schmidt, N.M., Glymour, M.M., Osypuk, T.L.(2017). Housing mobility and adolescent mental health: The role of substance use, social networks, and family mental health in the moving to opportunity study. SSM - Population Health, 3, 318-325.
Shaffer PR. (2015). Conflict Resolution for Couples. Shaffer PR. Conflict Resolution for Couples.
Shojaei, F., Jazayeri, R., Ahmadi, A., & Fatehizadeh, M. (2019). Investigating marital compatibility and marriage performance based on the degree of educational level difference in couples. Allameh Tabatabai University Counseling and Psychotherapy Culture Quarterly, (10(38): 111-134).
Siffert A, Schwarz B. (2011). Spouses' demand and withdrawal during marital conflict in relation to their subjective well-being. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships; 28(2): 262-277
Tebes JM. (2015). Contextual Factors and Environmental Differences between Couples Divorce Compromised and not Compromise, University of Buenos Aires; 1:710.
Weibe, S. a., & Johnson, S. M. (2017). creating relationships that foster resilience in emotionally
Wilson , S.J., Jaremka, L.M., Fagundes, C.P., Andridge, R., ,. J., Habash, D., Belury, M.A., Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K. (2017). Shortened sleep fuels inflammatory responses to marital conflict: Emotion regulation matters. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 79, 74-83.
Young,M.; & Long,L.(1998). Counseling and therapy for couples. New York: Brooks cole publishing company.
Zarei, E., Mirzaei, M., & Sadeghi Fard, M. (2018). Presenting a model to explain the role of communication skills and problem solving skills in preventing psychological and social injuries by mediating family conflicts. Quarterly Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy Culture, 9(35):1-26.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 15 March 2022
  • Revise Date: 04 October 2022
  • Accept Date: 11 April 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics