The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Marital Intimacy and Marital Commitment in Couples After Infidelity
Keywords:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Marital Intimacy, Marital Commitment, Marital Infidelity, Couple TherapyAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Marital infidelity is a major threat to couple relationships that significantly undermines marital intimacy and commitment and leads to adverse psychological outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on marital intimacy and marital commitment among couples affected by infidelity.
Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and control group. The statistical population consisted of couples attending family counseling centers in Mashhad in 2021. The sample included 15 couples (30 participants) selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of ACT, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (Thompson & Walker) and the Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (Adams & Jones). Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance.
Findings: Multivariate ANCOVA results indicated a significant overall effect of the intervention on the dependent variables (p < .001; F(2,26) = 19.82). Univariate ANCOVA results showed that ACT significantly increased marital intimacy (p < .001; F(1,27) = 27.70; η² = 0.51) and marital commitment (p < .001; F(1,27) = 18.67; η² = 0.41).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that ACT enhances psychological flexibility and emotional regulation, thereby improving marital intimacy and commitment in couples after infidelity, and can be considered an effective intervention in couple therapy.
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