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Abstract
Empathy plays a pivotal role in maintaining relationship adjustment between couples/romantic partners. As part of empathy, Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to ascribe independent mental states to self and others in order to explain and predict social behavior. Recent research in this area has shown that ToM activation is linked to physical and mental well-being and relationship continuity in intimate relationships. Studies also suggest that ToM training can improve the ability to mentally represent others’ mental states in nonclinical adults. The present study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a ToM training program in improving empathy between married couples by using a quasi-experimental template. Sixteen couples (32 persons) visiting counseling centers in Rasht, Iran, for marital conflict were chosen and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The couples in the experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of ToM training on a weekly basis. Training effects were measured in terms of empathic concern and perspective-taking by using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples. The results revealed the efficacy of the ToM training in improving empathy between married couples.