مطالب

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of schema therapy on reducing sexual aversion and enhancing sexual self-efficacy. Methods: The research utilized a semi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. Thirty couples experiencing sexual aversion and low sexual self-efficacy were selected from counseling centers in Karaj, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to either a schema therapy group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The schema therapy group received 8 to 10 sessions of intervention. Two standardized questionnaires, the Sexual Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the Sexual Aversion Inventory, were used to measure outcomes. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and follow-up tests were conducted to assess the stability of the intervention effects over time. Findings: The findings revealed that schema therapy significantly improved sexual self-efficacy and reduced sexual aversion in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .01). These improvements were sustained during the follow-up phase, with no significant decline in outcomes. The post-test and follow-up results demonstrated that schema therapy had a lasting positive impact on participants’ sexual health. The control group, in contrast, showed no significant changes across the measurement phases. Conclusion: Schema therapy was found to be an effective intervention for reducing sexual aversion and increasing sexual self-efficacy. The sustained improvements suggest that schema therapy offers long-term benefits for individuals struggling with these sexual issues. This study highlights the importance of addressing early maladaptive schemas to improve sexual health and relationship satisfaction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Imago therapy-based couples therapy on improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection among couples attending counseling centers in Masjed Soleyman. Methods: This quasi-experimental research was conducted with a pre-test, post-test, control group design, and follow-up. The population of this study included all couples visiting counseling centers in Masjed Soleyman in 2019, with twenty couples (40 individuals) randomly divided into experimental and control groups (10 couples per group). Participants in the experimental group underwent ten two-hour training sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. Participants were assessed using the Quinndom Communication Skills questionnaire, the Sanayi Zaker et al.'s Standard Sensitivity to Rejection, and the Downey and Feldman Marital Conflict questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance via SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results showed that training based on Imago therapy significantly altered the experimental group's communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, Imago therapy training can be considered an effective method for improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection among couples.

Objective: The present study aimed to predict attitudes toward marital infidelity in couples based on attachment styles and personality traits with the mediation of coping strategies (gender comparison). Methods: The research method was correlational and used structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all married women and men aged 25 to 45 in Tehran. A sample of 420 individuals, comprising 210 women and 210 men, was selected through convenience sampling. Research data were collected using the Whately Marital Infidelity Attitude Questionnaire (2006), the Collins and Read Attachment Styles Questionnaire (1994), the Cattell 16 Personality Factor Test (1973), and the Lazarus-Folkman Coping Strategies Questionnaire (1988). Relationships between variables were assessed using Pearson's correlation test, and the research model was evaluated using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling technique. The mediation role was also assessed using the bootstrapping method in Smart PLS software. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27 and Smart PLS version 3. Findings: The research findings indicated that in the female sample, risk-taking as a personality trait could predict marital infidelity (p < .05). In the male sample, the conscientiousness personality trait directly predicted marital infidelity, while insecure attachment predicted marital infidelity both directly and indirectly through the avoidant-escape coping style (p < .05). Conclusion: The results showed that insecure attachment influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. Additionally, the conscientiousness factor influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group, and the avoidance and escape strategies influence the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. The results also demonstrated that secure attachment negatively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Secure attachment negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the female group but positively impacts it in the male group. Insecure attachment positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in both the female and male groups. The conscientiousness factor positively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Moreover, sociability positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the male group, while emotional stability negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. Risk-taking negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. These results showed no relationship between insecure attachment and the tendency toward marital infidelity in women.