Date of Award:

10-2011

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Family, Consumer, and Human Development

Advisor/Chair:

Kay Bradford, Ph.D.

Abstract

Over the years, many interventions have been used to ameliorate couple distress and increase relationship satisfaction. These interventions have been getting shorter in duration. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and impact of a brief intervention using a solution-focused approach (SFBT) for couples. The brief intervention included two two-hour consultations. Data were collected from 30 couples and were analyzed using a repeated measures design. The analyses yielded mixed results. There were statistically significant improvements in the areas of individual well-being and relationship knowledge. There were no significant differences in terms of marital satisfaction, communication skills, and readiness to change, although positive trends were observed in this pilot phase. Implications for future research and development are discussed.

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on November 21, 2011.

Copyright for this work is retained by the student.