Marital Intimacy

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of cognitive behavior couple therapy (CBCT) and the approach of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on psychological well-being, marriage intimacy and quality of life of chaotic couples. Method: In order to achieve this goal, the quasi-experimental design including pre-test and post-test with control group as the main method was used. Findings: The population of this study included 14 couples who referred to counselling centers in Tehran in 1394 due to chaotic problems in their marriage relationships. The purposive sampling was also used in this study. The instruments of this study included marital adjustment test, psychological well-being questionnaire by Reef, intimacy scale by Walker and Thompson (1983) and quality of life. Conclusion: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral couple therapy has been effective (p<0.000psychological well-being, marital intimacy, and couples quality of life.

The present research is on the prediction of marital intimacy based on the quality of thematic relationships and expression of positive emotion in women. A descriptive-correlational method was used for this purpose. The statistical population of the present research consisted of all women referring to counseling centers in Hamedan in 2019, and 290 people were selected as the sample based on the available sampling method. The research means included King and Emmons Emotion Expression Questionnaire (1990), Bell Thematic Relationships Questionnaire (1995), and Bagarozi Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (2001). Data were analyzed using a simple regression statistical test using the SPSS21 software test. Results: Results showed that positive emotion expression and thematic relationships can be predicted based on couple intimacy. There was a positive and significant relationship between marital intimacy and thematic relationships and a direct and significant relationship between marital intimacy and positive emotional expression. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that marital intimacy can predict thematic relationships and positive emotional - expression.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of marital satisfaction and marital intimacy of mothers in predicting anxiety and depression in female student in Zanjan city. This study is considered as a descriptive/correlational research. The statistical population studied in this study were all female high school students in the Zanjan city and their mothers. The sample size was calculated using Cochran's formula, 367 of 8160 people were selected by stratified cluster sampling. To collect data were used from ENRICH: Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS) (Olson, 1989), Depression Anxiety Scale 21-Depression Scale, Marital Intimacy Scale, (Walker). Data were analyzed by regression analysis in SPSS 25 software. Inferential analysis was performed at a significance level of 0.05. According to the results, the average of marital satisfaction was at the moderate level, marital intimacy and depression and anxiety of children were at a low level. According to the results of stepwise regression, marital satisfaction and intimacy explain 0.42 of the variance of depression and 0.15 of the variance of adolescent anxiety. In general, according to the results of the study, as marital satisfaction and marital intimacy of mothers increase, depression and anxiety of girls decrease.

The family is considered the first social institution created by marriage. One of the outstanding features of a successful marriage is the intimacy between spouses. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between self-control and perceived social support with marital intimacy among female students. The study was descriptive-correlational, and the statistical population consisted of married female students of Azad University, North Tehran Branch during 2018-2019. The statistical sample was selected by simple random sampling method from among 150 married female students. To collect data, Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (MIQ) and Self-Control Questionnaire (SCQ) and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used. Pearson correlation coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression were used to analyze the data using SPSS-23 software. It was found that a significant positive relationship exists between marital intimacy and perceived social support and self-control in married female students. Further, there is a positive and significant relationship between marital intimacy and self-control. Increasing social support and self-control can improve some aspects of marital intimacy

The present study aimed to predict the tendency toward cosmetic treatments based on early maladaptive schemas and marital intimacy among married men applying for cosmetic surgery and non-applicant in the province of Yazd in 2020. The descriptive-correlation method is used. The statistical population of this study was all married men who applied for cosmetic surgery referred to relevant clinics and non-applicant married men in Yazd. According to this, a sample of 200 people, including 100 applicants and 100 non- applicant who were selected by available sampling. Then, Early maladaptive Schemas scale (Yang, 1998) and Bagarozzi's marital intimacy questionnaire (2001) were distributed among the subjects and after completing the questionnaires, the results were analyzed through logistic and Pearson correlation calculation. There is a significant relationship between different domains of early maladaptive schemas and intimacy of couples; Also, The findings showed that early maladaptive schemas and marital intimacy predict the tendency for cosmetic surgery in married men. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the three maladaptive schemas of autonomy and dysfunctional functioning, acceptance, cut and rejection, as well as the interference component in social performance of body image, respectively, had the highest share in predicting the tendency for cosmetic surgery, respectively. The schemas in a person's life act as lenses that shape the interpretation, selection, and evaluation of one's experiences. Considering the role of early maladaptive schemas and marital intimacy in predicting the tendency to cosmetic surgery in this study, it is suggested to provide psychological treatments, especially schema therapy and couple therapy, before cosmetic surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on the mental health and marital intimacy of couples seeking divorce in Tehran. Methods: The quasi experimental design was pretest-posttest with a control group. The study's statistical population included all divorce applicants in districts 2 and 5 of Tehran who had been referred to counseling centers for counseling services. By convenience sampling, thirty people were selected from the above population and randomly assigned into two experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The research instruments were Goldberg Mental Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Thompson & Walker Marital Intimacy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the covariance test. Results: Based on the results of the research on the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on the mental health, the difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of the amount of mental health in the post-test was confirmed. The research on the effectiveness of forgiveness therapy on marital intimacy was investigated, and the difference between experimental and control groups was confirmed in terms of marital intimacy in the post-test. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it can be said that forgiveness therapy increased mental health and marital intimacy in people under education. Therefore, family counselors and those involved in marital counseling should use the therapeutic forgiveness training protocol to promote mental health and marital intimacy for couples seeking divorce.

Aim: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement (MBRE) and Emotion Focused (EFT) therapies on marital satisfaction and intimacy in couples with low self-disclosure. Method: This research was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the research included all the couples who referred to the counseling centers of Kermanshah, Iran, in 2022-2023 who had a low level of self-disclosure. 30 couples were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The first experimental group underwent MBRE (eight 90-minute couple sessions) and the second experimental group EFT intervention (nine 90-minute couple sessions). The control group did not receive any intervention. The Marital Self-Disclosure (Waring et al. 1998), the short form of the Marital Satisfaction (Favers and Olson, 1993) and the Intimacy (Walker and Thompson, 1983) scales were used for collecting the data. Results: The results of Analysis of Variance with repeated measures (Mixed Model) showed that both interventions increased marital satisfaction and intimacy (p<0.01) and this effect was maintained during the follow-up period. Also, findings indicated that there is a significant difference between MBRE and EFT therapies; MBRE has been more effective in increasing marital satisfaction and intimacy than EFT (p<0.05). Conclusion: MBRE has been more effective than the EFT on solving the marital satisfaction and intimacy due to the involvement of couples in mind-body relationship and mental self-awareness. Therefore, this treatment is suggested to marital counselors.

Objective: This study aimed to predict marital intimacy based on attachment styles, early maladaptive schemas, and love styles among married female students. Method: The research employed a descriptive correlational design and included all married female students enrolled during the second semester of the academic year 2021. Out of these, 300 individuals were selected as the sample group and were studied. Research instruments included the Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form (YSQ-SF), Hendrick's Love Styles Questionnaire, Collins and Read's Attachment Style Questionnaire (RAAS), and Thompson and Walker's (1983) Marital Intimacy Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data obtained from these instruments. Descriptive statistics included means and standard deviations, while multiple regression was used to examine the research hypotheses. Findings: The regression results indicated that sacrificial love style and the impaired limits schema negatively predict marital intimacy. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the sacrificial love style and the impaired limits schema negatively explain marital intimacy.

Objective: This study aimed to predict the tendency towards divorce in couples involved in infidelity based on marital intimacy and satisfaction, mediated by ethical orientation styles. Method: The research method was correlational, involving a statistical population of couples seeking counseling in districts one and two of Tehran in 2021. The sample size was 250 individuals of both genders, selected through random quota sampling. Data collection tools included: the Tendency Towards Divorce Scale by Rusbult, Johnson, & Morrow (1986), the Infidelity Scale by Yeni Seri & Kokdemir (2006), the Marital Intimacy Scale by Bagarozzi (2001), the Marital Satisfaction Scale by Enrich (1995), and the Ethical Orientation Styles Scale by Haidt & Graham (2007). Data analysis methods used descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling, and PLS3 SMART software. Findings: The results indicated that there was a negative relationship between marital intimacy and the tendency towards divorce among couples involved in infidelity. There was also a negative relationship between marital satisfaction and the tendency towards divorce in these couples. Marital intimacy and satisfaction could predict the tendency towards divorce mediated by ethical orientation styles. Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between marital satisfaction and intimacy with ethical orientation styles, with ethical orientation styles mediating the relationship between these variables and the tendency towards divorce. Conclusions: This relationship intensifies when mediated by ethical orientation styles. Thus, with an increase in marital satisfaction, the tendency towards divorce due to infidelity decreases. This justifies the use of interventionist approaches to strengthen marital satisfaction to reduce the tendency towards divorce due to infidelity.

Objective: Infertility is not merely a medical condition affecting women but a biopsychosocial health issue that encompasses lower quality of life, psychiatric disorders, and even marital conflicts. The aim of this study was to predict marital intimacy based on infertility stigma and coping strategies in infertile women. Method: This applied research was descriptive-correlational in nature. The population included all infertile women in Tehran in the year 2020. From this group, 250 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The participants were assessed using the Thompson and Walker (1983) Marital Intimacy Scale, Fu’s (2014) Perceived Infertility Stigma Scale, and Folkman and Lazarus’s (1985) Coping Strategies Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 23. Findings: Data analysis revealed that infertility stigma and coping strategies significantly predict marital intimacy in infertile women at the 0.01 level (p < .01, F(6, 249) = 45.877). Infertility stigma and coping strategies explained 53.1% of the variance in marital intimacy. The t-tests for significance in regression for self-devaluation (β = -.189, p = .001), social rejection (β = -.143, p = .003), family shame (β = -.279, p = .001), emotion-focused coping style (β = .351, p = .001), and problem-focused coping style (β = .251, p = .001) were significant at the level below .01. Among the sub-scales of infertility stigma, family shame and among the coping strategies, emotion-focused coping style had a more significant unique contribution in predicting marital intimacy. Conclusion: Infertility stigma and coping strategies can be used to predict marital intimacy among infertile women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy on self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy in couples experiencing marital conflict. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up, using a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with marital conflict in Tehran in 2023. Fourteen couples experiencing marital conflict were selected using a non-random, purposive sampling method, and then, through random assignment, 7 couples were assigned to the experimental group and 7 couples to the control group. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of paradoxical couple therapy, and after dropouts, 6 participants successfully completed the therapy. The control group received no intervention. To match the number of participants, couples were randomly excluded from the control group to account for dropouts in the experimental group. The study utilized questionnaires measuring self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and SPSS 22 software. Findings: The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups. Paradoxical couple therapy significantly improved self-differentiation (F = 4.93, p = 0.035) and marital intimacy (F = 41.16, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, interventions based on the paradoxical approach can effectively improve self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy.

Objective: The present study aimed to predict marital burnout in individuals married for 5 to 10 years based on attachment styles, with the mediating roles of marital self-regulation and marital intimacy. Methods and Materials: This study was analytical-correlational in nature, employing path analysis. The sample consisted of 384 married individuals (164 men and 220 women) who were selected through convenience sampling. The participants were aged between 25 and 45, with a marriage duration of 5 to 10 years. Data were collected using validated questionnaires, including the Marital Burnout Scale (Kayser, 1996), the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990), the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale (Wilson et al., 2005), and the Intimacy Scale (Walker & Thompson, 1983). SPSS and Amos software were used for data analysis, applying structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine direct and indirect effects. Findings: The results indicated that marital self-regulation and intimacy mediated the relationship between attachment styles and marital burnout. Avoidant and anxious attachment styles positively predicted marital burnout, while secure attachment negatively predicted it. Additionally, self-regulation and intimacy were significant mediators, with higher levels of self-regulation and intimacy associated with lower marital burnout. Avoidant and anxious attachment styles negatively influenced self-regulation and intimacy, which in turn increased marital burnout. Conclusion: The study concluded that attachment styles significantly impact marital burnout, with self-regulation and intimacy playing crucial mediating roles. Individuals with insecure attachment styles (avoidant and anxious) are more prone to marital burnout, whereas secure attachment leads to lower burnout. Interventions aimed at improving self-regulation and intimacy in couples may help mitigate the effects of insecure attachment styles on marital burnout.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions using coaching and self-learning methods on marital satisfaction and couple intimacy. Methods and Materials: This semi-experimental study followed a pre-test–post-test design with a control group and two experimental groups (coaching and self-learning). The statistical population consisted of couples who visited family counseling centers in District 8 of Tehran in 2022 and reported low levels of marital satisfaction and intimacy. A purposive sampling method was used to select 45 participants, who were equally divided into three groups of 15. The coaching group received eight 90-minute cognitive-behavioral sessions, while the self-learning group was given a structured 73-page manual to follow independently over two months. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Thompson and Walker Marital Intimacy Scale. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to analyze the results. Findings: ANCOVA results indicated that cognitive-behavioral interventions using the coaching method significantly improved marital satisfaction (η² = 0.30, p < .01) and couple intimacy (η² = 0.372, p < .01), compared to the control group. Similarly, the self-learning method showed significant improvement in marital satisfaction (η² = 0.19, p < .01) and intimacy (η² = 0.23, p < .01), although the effect sizes were smaller. Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral interventions, particularly through coaching, are effective in enhancing marital satisfaction and intimacy. The presence of a coach facilitates deeper understanding, accountability, and behavioral change, making it a more impactful approach compared to self-directed learning.