The Impact of Relationship Education on the Couple Relationship: A Grounded Theory of Intentionality and Awareness

ABSTRACT

Research on relationship education (RE) programs generally shows their effectiveness, but it is important to understand what the mechanisms of change are, how they occur within programs, and what participants experience. The purpose of this study was to explore couples' perceptions of the key components of their experience as participants of a Prep-based RE program. Research questions included: How do couples describe their experience of taking an 8-hour relationship education class? What elements had the biggest impact on their relationship? How has their relationship changed as a result of participation? Interview data from 39 married and cohabitating couples who participated in RE were analyzed using grounded theory methods. Six categories emerged from the analytic process, resulting in a model that provided explanatory detail of a typical RE program experience and its impact on the participants. These categories were: intentionality and awareness, context, relationship, workshop, impact (of RE), and couple interview. Couples described these categories as developing in a relatively chronological order, with Intentionality and Awareness being a central category that cut across the process and helped explain the impact of the program on the couple relationship. Implications for research, program development, and program facilitators providing RE are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Relationship education
• couples
• intentionality
• awareness
• qualitative grounded theory

Additional information

Funding

Texas Health and Human Services Commission(10.13039/100004925, #529-07-0136-00001)

Notes on contributors

Joshua R. Novak

Joshua R. Novak is an assistant professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Utah State University. Jason B. Whiting is a professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Brigham Young University. Matthew Brown is an assistant professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. Steven M. Harris is a professor of Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota.

This research was supported in part by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission #529-07-0136-00001 at Texas Tech University. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.