Investigating the effectiveness of narrative therapy on the quality of married life of Isfahan women

Dissertation for Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling

The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of narrative therapy on the quality of married life of women in Isfahan city. . The current research is a semi-experimental type of research. The statistical population of this research were women who referred to cultural centers and cultural centers in Isfahan city in 2013. The sample of this research was 48 married women, including 24 married women in the experimental group and 24 married women in the control group, who were randomly replaced. The sampling method was voluntary and they were selected from among the couples who had visited the cultural centers and cultural centers of Isfahan and were willing to participate in the research. After introducing the narrative therapy training workshop in cultural centers and cultural centers, volunteer couples were asked to register. After registration, all the people were asked to participate in the briefing session. They were then asked to respond to the Marital Quality of Life Scale (RDAS). Then the experimental group passed 8 training sessions of narrative therapy. Then both groups were asked to answer the questionnaire again as a post-test. Covariance statistical test was used to analyze the data. The results of this research showed that narrative therapy is effective on the level of satisfaction in married life of Isfahan women. In addition, the findings of the research showed that narrative therapy is effective on the level of cohesion in the married life of women in Isfahan city. Also, the findings of the research showed that narrative therapy is effective on the level of agreement in the marital life of women in Isfahan city. Keywords: quality of marital life, narrative therapy, marital agreement, marital cohesion, marital satisfaction. Introduction: The family is the first and most important human biological unit in human societies. The emotional atmosphere, basic values ??and the way of communication in the family have deep and lasting effects on the way the personality cylinders of its members are formed. As a closed action system, the family enjoys relative independence from the surrounding environment and is in constant communication and mutual influence with it (Arab Bafrani, 2013).

In the last decade, researchers extensively studied the quality of married life and the relationship between the two with different aspects of human life.  The quality of life and marital satisfaction, in addition to variables such as satisfaction with the quality of life and sex, conflict management and communication, are considered to be the most important factors determining the optimal functioning of families (Greif [1], 2000). Bradbury, Fincham and Beach (2000) investigated the nature and determinants of satisfaction and quality of married life during a decade, and found more than one hundred research titles in the field of quality of married life. The breadth of this research proves the increasing importance of satisfaction and quality of married life (Glass [2], 1995; quoted by Farsani, 2013).

According to Greif (2000), couples Compatible are husband and wife who agree a lot with each other. They are satisfied with the type and level of their relationships, they are satisfied with the type and quality of their free time, and they apply good management in terms of their time and financial issues. Marital compatibility is a process that occurs during the life of a couple, and the prerequisite for its emergence is the adaptation of tastes, recognition of the characteristics of the parties, the establishment of behavioral rules and the formation of appropriate patterns. The quality of married life is an evolutionary process between husband and wife (Lack and Wallas[3], 1986; quoted by Gurban Ali, 2014).   

The feeling of marital satisfaction in the marital relationship plays an important role in the level of normal family functions (Spiricher, Harvey and Wenzel[4], 2008). On the other hand, one of the important components in marriage is the quality of married life. In fact, the quality of married life is a process that occurs during the life of couples, and it requires the adaptation of tastes, recognition of personal traits, the creation of behavioral rules and the formation of relationship patterns. Marital adjustment is an evolutionary process between husband and wife (Laswell and Lawswell[5], 1982; quoted by Ahmadi et al., 2013). Considering the importance of interventional methods in the treatment and improvement of the quality of married life, in the present study this issue has been addressed with regard to narrative therapy.

1-2 Statement of the problem:

Marriage is one of the most important and fundamental human relationships and is the first unit for family relationships and the upbringing of the next generation (Larson [6] and Holman [7], 1994; quoted by Diarian, 2011).

Marriage is a sacred contract that existed among all tribes and nations and in all times and places (Nawabinejad, 1376). Many people enter intimate marital relationships at some stage of their lives. In Western countries, more than 90% of the population gets married before the age of 50 (Halford[8], 2004, translated by Mustafa Tabrizi, Kardani and Jafari).

What is more important in marriage is compatibility and marital satisfaction. Communication plays a central role in marriage (Burleson and Denton [9], 1997) in such a way that it has been identified in terms of marital characteristics that effective and efficient communication (quality of marital relations) between husband and wife is the most important aspect of families with optimal functioning (Greif and Mayherb [10], 2000). Beck and Jones3 (1972, quoted by Sappington, 2001, translated by Hossein Shahi, 2012) realized that the most common problem in troubled and troubled marriages is the poor quality of marital relationships. In other words, communication issues may be the primary concerns and preoccupations of some couples who refer for therapy (Karr [11], 2000). Communication approaches often examine marriage and marital relationships with three basic assumptions: 1- Marital conflicts are unavoidable, the goal of communication therapies is not to completely eliminate these conflicts, but rather they try to give them direction and use them in constructive ways and raise the quality of relationships;  2- Communication occurs on both verbal and non-verbal levels, and one of the main reasons for the occurrence of marital disputes is the inconsistency of the messages that are simultaneously transmitted by these two levels, which leads to the poor quality of marital relations; 3- Spouses differ from each other in their communication methods and marital quality (Sohrabi, 2012). In general, a general assumption has been that the cause of many marital communication problems is ineffective communication skills on the part of the spouses, and according to this view, communication training and increasing the quality of marital relations as an effort to repair the problematic relationship is an important component in many marital therapy approaches. (Burleson and Denton, 1997).

The study of couples' relationships helps to clarify the structural frameworks in which couples' relationships are formed. The quality of marital relations[12] plays a fundamental role in evaluating the overall quality of family communication (Bradbury, Fincham and Beach[13], 2000). Marital relationship quality is a multidimensional concept and includes various dimensions of couples' relationships such as compatibility, satisfaction, happiness, cohesion, and commitment (Troxel [14], 2006).

There are three main approaches to conceptualizing the quality of marital relationships. The first criterion is related to Levi's and Spanier [15] (1979; cited by Edital and Love [16], 2005), who considers the quality of marital relationships to be a combination of compatibility and happiness. The second approach is related to Fincham and Bradbury (1987; cited by Crowley [17], 2006). Based on this approach, the quality of marital relationships reflects the individual's overall assessment of the marital relationship. The third approach is related to Marx [18] (1989; cited by Troxell, 2006), which is a combination of Levys-Waspenier's approach and Boen's systemic approach [19] (1978). Marx has a systemic attitude towards the individual, the individual's relationship with his wife and the individual's relationship with others. From this point of view, a married person has three angles including "inner angle, wife's angle and outer angle". The first angle is the person's inner self, which includes the person's internal dimension and various efforts, motivations, and energies that are formed by a long history of all the person's life experiences. The second angle is the relationship with the wife. That part of the self that constantly pays attention to the wife, harmonizes with her and takes care of her. The second angle of the independence-solidarity bridge is why the spouse is thought of as the second half of the person. The third angle of any point shows a focus outside oneself except for the spouse. In other words, triangles are also discussed here. However, contrary to Boen's opinion, who sees the important other as just a person, Marx believes that the important other can also be a job, hobby, etc. Accordingly, Marx defines the quality of marital relations as follows: "The quality of marital relations is the result of the ways in which married people systematically organize themselves in this triangle (three angles) (Troxel, 2006). According to the theory of Fincham and Bradbury (1987; quoted by Edital, 2005), the quality of marital relations and the level of happiness depend on the way husband and wife interact and their ways of dealing with stressful life situations (Bradbury, Fincham and Beach, 2000; Crowley, 2006).

There are several tools to improve the quality of married life.