Profile of durable and successful marriages: A new competency-based marital education program
Perfil de los matrimonios largos y exitosos: un nuevo programa de educación marital basado en competencias
Cherrel J. Francisca
,
Jaime Rodríguez Gómez
Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, (2020), 52, pp. 11-21.
Received 28 December 2018
Accepted 29 November 2019
El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar el impacto de un nuevo programa de educación marital o relacional basado en el desarrollo de competencias familiares para parejas en Curazao, Caribe Holandés. La tasa de divorcio del 57% y la opinión de que la intuición o la cohabitación son las únicas alternativas a la preparación para el matrimonio en el Caribe Holandés demandan una alternativa adicional que no solamente sea intelectualmente defendible, sino que además tenga base empírica. Por esta razón hemos realizado un estudio tipo cuasiexperimental en el cual se usó una muestra de 310 individuos de 19 a 63 años. Además, se implementó el diseño de Solomon y el contraste planeado para el ANOVA de una vía, en el cual comparamos los resultados obtenidos de antes y después de una intervención (i.e. curso de educación de parejas). Posteriormente hemos comparado los resultados después de 2.5 años para evaluar el carácter permanente de los resultados en dos grupos de parejas, parejas ajustadas y parejas con dificultades relaciones/angustiados. Los resultados obtenidos indican puntuaciones significativamente elevadas para la variable (1) de satisfacción marital, con un tamaño de efecto (d=Cohen) de 2.18 para el grupo ajustado y 4.44 para el grupo angustiado; (2) compromiso (d del grupo ajustado = 1.98, d del grupo angustiado 2,90); y (3) las 12 competencias perfiladas para la durabilidad marital (d del grupo ajustado = 1.62 y grupo angustiado = 6.27). Hemos concluido que el programa aumentó la satisfacción marital, el sentido de compromiso con la relación y el dominio de las 12 competencias perfiladas para la familia o relaciones duraderas. Este estudio tiene la siguiente implicación: la sensibilidad cultural y el enfoque basado en desarrollo de competencias pueden ser cruciales y la matriz en la maximación del éxito sostenible de programas de educación relacional y marital como herramienta de intervención preventiva y/o de tratamiento.
Palabras clave
Competencia, Curazao, programa de educación marital, longevidad marital, satisfacción marital, competencia en las relaciones personales, educación afectiva, perfil, matrimonio
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a newly developed competency-based marital and relationship education (MRE) program for couples in Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean. In consideration to the 57% divorce rate in Curaçao, and the view that intuition or cohabitation are the sole alternatives to marriage preparation in the Dutch Caribbean, a new additional alternative that is both intellectually defensible and empirically based was proposed. This quasi-experimental study used a sample of 310 participants aged 19–63 years. Using the Solomon design and planned contrast for one-way ANOVA, we compared pre-, post-intervention and follow-up results after 2.5 years of couples in a distress and adjusted group. Statistically significantly increased scores were obtained for (1) marital satisfaction, with an effect size (Cohen’s d) of 2.18 for the adjusted group and 4.44 for the distressed group; (2) commitment (adjusted group d = 1.98, distressed group d = 2.90); and (3) the 12 profiled relationship competencies for marital durability (adjusted group d = 1.62, distressed group d = 6.27). Follow-up measurements conducted 2.5 years upon MRE program completion indicated that its effects were durable. We concluded that participation in the Profile of Durable and Successful Couples (PDSC) program resulted in increased marital satisfaction, relationship commitment, and mastery of the 12 profiled family and relationship competencies, that contribute to relationship durability. This implicate that the PDSC program under study can be adopted to prevent relationship erosion, while also assisting those experiencing relationship distress in finding satisfactory solutions. The competency-based focus of the program could be considered the matrix in maximizing the sustainable success of MRE program.
Keywords
Competence, Curaçao, marital education program, marital longevity, marital satisfaction, relationship competence, relationship education, profile, marriage
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