THE EFFICACY OF A MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT WEEKEND ONLY VS. A MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT PLUS FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not changes occurred for subjects who participated in a marriage enrichment experience. Five variables were measured: affective attitudes, effective communication behaviors, problem-solving cognitions, self:mate concurrence, and relationship satisfaction. Two research questions were investigated: (1) Were there marked differences between pretest and posttest scores of the five variables measured for couples who participated in a marriage enrichment experience? (2) Were there marked differences between posttest and follow-up posttest scores for couples who participated in a four-month follow-up support group following the marriage enrichment experience and those who did not? The conclusions of this study were: (1) A marriage enrichment weekend will be perceived as a positive experience by couples. Most who do not continue with follow-up support will still perceive the experience positively four months later, but will have found it difficult to practice the skills and behaviors they learned on the weekend without support of a group. (2) More men than women express an increase in relationship satisfaction immediately after the weekend. (3) The higher the trust and intimacy level, the better the perceived communication or vice versa, and the more an individual\u27s perception of self concurred with his or her mate. (4) The trust and intimacy level and perceived communication will increase after a marriage enrichment experience and maintain above the weekend level for couples with no follow-up. Behavioral skills will not maintain as well, and post-weekend relationship satisfaction is maintained better for men than women. (5) A follow-up support group is helpful in stimulating and providing opportunities for couple communication and will increase couples\u27 trust and intimacy level, their perceived communication skills, self:mate concurrence, and relationship satisfaction and will maintain their problem solving cognitions and skills. (6) A follow-up support group of four months does not increase empathic communication behaviors or the ability to make self-awareness statements without specific evaluated practice