Marital enrichment: the contribution of sixteen process variables to the effectiveness of a program

A marital enrichment program, based on Sager's contractual model of couple functioning, was analyzed to see which of its components were linked to good and/or improved marital adjustment, communication and problem-solving skills. Nineteen couples underwent the eight-week program, and were pre- and posttested on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Marital Communication Inventory, and the Marital Interaction Coding System. A factor analysis of 16 process variables within the program confirmed the relationship between components of the program and the therapeutic goals based on Sager's model. When the factors thus derived and the variables themselves were used as predictors of the outcome variables within stepwise multiple regression equations, a positive awareness of one's expectations and of the marital relationship seemed to be particularly important to couple functioning. The role of communication skills and of negotiation training were not as clear. One trend that emerged was that negotiation skills seemed more useful for seriously dysfunctional couples.