THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A TRAINING PROGRAM IN INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS FOR PREMARITAL COUPLES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief communication and problem-solving skills training program for premarital couples. The study proposed that couples who participated in the training program would demonstrate significant increases in verbal facilitative and problem-solving behaviors as well as in relationship satisfaction. The research design was a pretest-posttest control group design. Couples were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups; there were 10 couples in each group. The experimental treatment was a one-day workshop which trained couples in eight specific listener and speaker skills and a four-step problem-solving procedure. The training methodology included lecture, discussion, modeling, behavior rehearsal, and feedback. The instruments used were the Marital Interaction Coding System (MICS), the Premarital Communication and Problem Solving Rating Scale (PCPSRS), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Data analysis included analysis of covariance and correlated t tests. The results indicated that couples who participated in the training did not significantly differ at posttest from the control couples on any of the measures. The experimental couples did not show significant gains from pre- to posttest on any of the measures; however, six control couples who participated in the training after posttesting did show a significant increase in their use of problem-solving statements at the time of follow-up testing. The researcher-constructed PCPSRS was found to correlate positively and significantly with the DAS. A consumer satisfaction questionnaire found that all the participants who received training reacted favorably to this experience. Limitations of the study are noted and recommendations for further research are made