The Effectiveness of Expert-Based Marriage Counseling Training on Emotional Experience Toward Marriage and Marriage Motivation

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Marriage is considered one of the most important developmental transitions in human life, and individuals’ emotional experiences and motivational orientations toward marriage can significantly influence marital stability and satisfaction. Due to the increasing prevalence of negative emotions and reduced motivation toward marriage among young adults, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of expert-based marriage counseling training on emotional experience toward marriage and marriage motivation among single women in Isfahan.

Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up assessments alongside a control group. The statistical population included all single women aged 20 to 30 years in Isfahan during 2023–2024, from whom 40 participants were purposively selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of expert-based marriage counseling training, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Data collection instruments included the Emotional Experience Toward Marriage Questionnaire and the Marriage Motivation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.

Findings: The results of repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant interaction effect between time and group for emotional experience toward marriage (P<0.001, F=29.64), indicating that the intervention explained 51% of the observed variance in this variable. A significant interaction effect was also found for marriage motivation (P<0.001, F=175.74), with the intervention accounting for 86% of the variance. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups during post-test and follow-up stages in both variables. The findings indicated that expert-based marriage counseling training significantly reduced negative emotional experiences toward marriage and enhanced marriage motivation.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that expert-based marriage counseling training can improve emotional and motivational readiness for marriage by enhancing self-awareness, interpersonal understanding, emotional regulation, and communication skills among single women. Therefore, this educational approach may serve as an effective premarital intervention for reducing negative emotional perceptions of marriage and strengthening motivation toward marital commitment.