The acceptability of behavioral treatments for marital problems. A comparison of behavioral exchange and communication skills training procedures.
Clients judge communication and problem-solving therapy as kinder and fairer than reward contracts.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked married college women to watch two short clips of marital therapy. One clip showed a therapist teaching a couple to talk and solve problems. The other clip showed a therapist setting up a point-and-reward contract. After each clip, the women rated how fair, kind, and helpful the therapy looked.
The study used a survey design. All participants saw both styles and picked the one they liked more.
What they found
The women rated the communication and problem-solving clip much higher. They saw it as more acceptable than the behavioral exchange contract approach.
The finding was clear and positive: talking-and-solving beat point systems for these viewers.
How this fits with other research
Kelleher et al. (1987) ran a similar horse-race test with adults who had developmental disabilities. They also found structured problem-solving training beat relaxation training for dating skills. Both studies line up: teaching people to talk and solve problems looks better than alternative packages.
O'Reilly et al. (2004) compared two social-skills packages for adults with mild ID and saw no real difference. Their null result seems to clash with Ferrari et al. (1991), but the difference is in the question. F et al. measured actual skill gains, while R et al. measured first-impression acceptability. Clients may like both styles equally yet still learn the same.
Mazur (2012) shows the long arc: social-skills and problem-solving approaches have stayed in the toolbox since the 1980s. The new survey adds a user-friendly lens to that history.
Why it matters
When you pitch marital-therapy options, lead with communication and problem-solving training. Clients are more likely to buy in. If you still need contracts, expect extra explaining time. The same sell may work for other populations: T et al. saw the preference hold for adults with developmental disabilities. Start with talk-and-solve; fall back to points only after you secure assent.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Married female undergraduates were asked to provide ratings of the acceptability of two treatment components commonly used within the framework of behavioral marital therapy. The study compared subjects' evaluations of detailed taped descriptions of behavioral exchange/contracting procedures and communication/problem-solving skills training as they were applied to two hypothetical clinical marital cases. The study also evaluated the extent to which the severity of the marital problems influenced treatment acceptability evaluation. Communication/problem-solving skills training was judged as more acceptable than behavioral exchange/contracting procedures and received a higher score on the Evaluative and Potency dimensions of the Semantic Differential. Judgments of treatment Potency were also found to be influenced by idiosyncratic features of the cases described in association with problem severity. Implications and directions for future research are briefly discussed.
Behavior modification, 1991 · doi:10.1177/01454455910151003