ERIC Number: EJ985154
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0197-6664
EISSN: N/A
Does Couple and Relationship Education Work for Individuals in Stepfamilies? A Meta-Analytic Study
Lucier-Greer, Mallory; Adler-Baeder, Francesca
Family Relations, v61 n5 p756-769 Dec 2012
Recent meta-analytic efforts have documented how couple and relationship education (CRE) programs promote healthy relationship and family functioning. The current meta-analysis contributes to this body of literature by examining stepfamily couples, an at-risk, subpopulation of participants, and assessing the effectiveness of CRE programs for individuals in these relationships. Findings are aggregated from 14 evaluation studies of CRE programs designed for stepcouples. Analyses examine effects by study design (i.e., comparison-group and one-group/pre-post) and within specific domains (i.e., family, parental, and couple functioning). The interventions have, on average, small effects overall (comparison-group: d = 0.20; one-group/pre-post: d = 0.23), and slightly larger effects in family and parental functioning when examining specific outcomes (d = 0.20 to 0.35). An examination of effectiveness over time reveals that earlier studies (i.e., 1980s and 1990s) show larger effects than more recent studies. Implications for CRE programs for stepfamilies and evaluation needs are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Family Relationship, Meta Analysis, Family Structure, At Risk Persons, Program Evaluation, Intervention, Interpersonal Relationship, Marital Satisfaction, Parenting Skills
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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