ERIC Number: EJ684815
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Feb
Pages: 7
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-006X
EISSN: N/A
Infidelity and Behavioral Couple Therapy: Optimism in the Face of Betrayal
Atkins, David C.; Eldridge, Kathleen A.; Baucom, Donald H.; Christensen, Andrew
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, v73 n1 p144-150 Feb 2005
Infidelity is a common issue with which distressed couples and their therapists grapple. However, there are no data on the efficacy of commonly used therapies to treat couples in which there has been an affair. In the present exploratory study, the authors examined the therapy outcomes of a sample of infidelity couples (n=19) who had participated in a randomized clinical trial of marital therapy (n=134). Results show that infidelity couples began treatment more distressed than noninfidelity couples; however, evidence suggests that couples who had an affair and who revealed this affair prior to or during therapy showed greater improvement in satisfaction than noninfidelity couples. Implications for therapy with infidelity couples are discussed.
Descriptors: Therapy, Marriage Counseling, Marital Instability, Deception, Counseling Techniques, Outcomes of Treatment, Counseling Effectiveness, Psychological Patterns
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A