Effects of a Marital Relationship Enrichment Program on Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Satisfaction in Multicultural Couples

Young-Ran Yeun; Soo Yang

doi:10.12934/jkpmhn.2012.21.3.250

Journal List > J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs > v.21(3) > 1057949

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Yeun and Yang: Effects of a Marital Relationship Enrichment Program on Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Satisfaction in Multicultural Couples

Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 2012; 21(3): 250-261.

Published online: 30 September 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2012.21.3.250

Effects of a Marital Relationship Enrichment Program on Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Satisfaction in Multicultural Couples

Young-Ran Yeun¹, Soo Yang²

¹Graduate School, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

²College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Yang, Soo. College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea. Tel: +82-2-2258-7407, Fax: +82-2-2258-7772, sooy@catholic.ac.kr

Received 5 July 2012 Revised 4 September 2012 Accepted 24 September 2012

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was conducted to examine the effects of a marital relationship enrichment program on communication, conflict resolution and marital satisfaction in multicultural couples.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design was used. Participants were sampled from couples registered at 2 local centers and 2 multicultural family support centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Sixteen pairs each were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group received the marital relationship enrichment program for 120 minutes/session/week for 6 weeks. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and t-test for subject homogeneity verification, and ANCOVA to examine the hypotheses.

Results

Communication and marital satisfaction increased significantly after the program in experimental group compared with control group. Among conflict solution styles, collaborating and compromising increased and avoiding decreased significantly after the program in the experimental group. Competing decreased significantly after the program for wives in the experimental group. Accommodating did not change significantly in either experimental or control groups.

Conclusion

Results of the study confirm that marital relationship enrichment programs are effective in promoting multicultural couples' communication and marital satisfaction, and causing positive changes in conflict resolution.

Keywords: Culture, Family, Communication, Conflict, Marriage

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Marital Relationship Enrichment Program

Table 2

Homogeneity for General Characteristics between Groups

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

^†Fisher's exact test.

Table 3

Homogeneity for Dependent Variables between Groups

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

^†t-test.

Table 4

Comparison of Communication, Conflict Solution and Marital Satisfaction between Groups (N=64)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

^†Measured by ANCOVA with the pretest value as covariate.

Table 5

Comparison of Distribution related to Scores for Marital Satisfaction (N=64)

MS=marital satisfaction; Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

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