The Effectiveness of Constructive Silence Protocol Training Based on Islamic Teachings on Couples’ Empathy and Resilience
Keywords:
Constructive Silence, Islamic Teachings, Empathy, ResilienceAbstract
Background and Objective: Healthy marital relationships are grounded in empathy, resilience, and effective communication. Weakness in any of these components may lead to conflict and marital instability. Given the importance of communication quality in marital relationships, the present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Constructive Silence Protocol Training based on Islamic teachings on couples’ empathy and resilience.
Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a 45-day follow-up period. The statistical population included all couples residing in Golpayegan city in 2024. Eighty couples who scored between the first and third quartiles on the Silence Questionnaire were identified. From this group, 30 couples were selected through simple random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 couples in each group). Initially, the participants completed the Marital Empathy Questionnaire (20 items; Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006) and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Subsequently, the psycho-educational Constructive Silence Protocol based on Islamic teachings was administered to the experimental group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected at posttest and at a 45-day follow-up.
Results: The findings indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest scores in both empathy and resilience within the experimental group. Multivariate analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) confirmed the effectiveness of the silence protocol training on both variables, with improved mean scores in empathy and resilience in the experimental group compared to the control group (F = 60.226 and 59.212, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The results suggest that Constructive Silence Protocol Training enhances couples’ empathy and resilience and can serve as an effective approach to improving marital relationships based on Islamic teachings. These findings highlight the importance of communication skills training grounded in religious teachings in promoting mental health and family stability.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shima Jafari (Author); Hossein Davoodi; Hassan Heydari (Author)
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