Comparitive Study of the Effectiveness of Individual and Couple Emotion-Focused Therapy on Experience in Close Relationship- Relationship Structure (Attachment Security) in Couples with Extramarital Relationships

Extended Abstract

Introduction:

Family is one of the most important social systems and functions, and the introduction to family formation is marriage. Marriage, as the most important and highest social custom for achieving the emotional and security needs of individuals, has always been confirmed, and its continuity and survival depend on the continuity and survival of the marital bond. One of the cases that threatens the marital contract and sometimes ends in divorce and separation from each other is marital infidelity or extramarital affairs, which is referred to as establishing intimate and emotional, virtual and sexual relationships with someone other than one's spouse, and legally in some countries this act is accompanied by criminal punishment. On the other hand, it is believed that having extramarital affairs can be influenced by the quality of attachment experienced; which in the world of couples is described as attachment security, which is also referred to as attachment tendencies. Various factors at the personality and psychological levels, such as attachment styles separately and in interaction with each other, affect the relationship between couples and lead to an increase in their tendency towards marital infidelity. The purpose of this study was to comparitive study of the effectiveness of individual and couple emotion-focused therapy on experience in close relationship- relationship structure (attachment security) in couples with extramarital relationships

Method

This semi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design with control group and follow-up 2 month. The statistical population was all couples with extramarital relationships of Karaj city in the autumn of 2024. In the first stage, 60 couples were selected and and then randomly divided into 2 experimental group (each group 15couples) and 2 control group (each group 15 couples) were replaced and experimental group underwent emotion-focused therapy, but the control group received no training and remained in the waiting list. Infidelity of at least one of the partners, informed consent to participate in the study, experience of more than 6 months of extramarital relationship, having psychological health (not using psychiatric drugs), age over 18 years for the couple, having at least a diploma degree and having a marriage history of one year or more were the criteria for entry into the study. Also, absence of more than 2 sessions in emotion-focused therapy sessions in couple and individual methods, simultaneous participation in other courses and therapeutic interventions concurrently with the study, and unwillingness to continue the study were the criteria for exiting the study. To collect data experience in close relationship- relationship structure (ECR-RS) of Fraley and et al (2011). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-28 software with analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni.

Results:

The assumption of variance analysis of sphericity is not respected. Violation of the default assumption of sphericity causes the F statistic of variance analysis to be inaccurate. To solve this problem and increase the accuracy of the F statistic, the degrees of freedom are corrected using the Greenhouse-Geisser and Huynh-Feldt methods. Which correction method to use, according to the suggestion of Stevens, if the epsilon value is greater than 0.75, then Huon-Flat correction and if epsilon is smaller than 0.75 or there is no information about sphericity. Greenhouse-Geisser correction is used. In the present study, the epsilon value for the Greenhouse-Geyser index for sleep quality is smaller than 0.75, so Greenhouse-Geyser epsilon was used. Therefore, taking into account the Greenhouse-Geisser correction, the results of the analysis of variance test with repeated measurements are reported in Tables to investigate the difference of the research sample in the three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up of the close relationship- relationship structure (attachment security). The results of the study showed that of individual and couple emotion-focused therapy had a significant effect on attachment security (P<0.05). In addition, the results of Bonferroni post hoc test showed that couple emotion-focused therapy is more effective than individual and couple emotion-focused therapy on close relationship- relationship structure (attachment security) in couples with extramarital relationships (P<0.05).





Conclusion:

The use of emotion-focused couple therapy in couples in the context of emotional adjustment and awareness can be effective in creating intimate and close relationships between couples. In general, emotion-focused couple therapy is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the involvement of emotions in persistent patterns of incompatibility in couples with marital problems. This approach to couple therapy attempts to uncover vulnerable emotions in each partner and facilitate the couple's ability to generate these emotions in a safe and loving manner. It is believed that processing these emotions in a safe context creates healthier and newer interaction patterns that calm the level of turmoil and increase love, intimacy, and ultimately a more satisfying relationship. Theorists of this type of couples therapy claim that this type of couples therapy is one of the most valid empirical forms of couples therapy. A review of the findings of the studies provides strong empirical evidence of the usefulness of emotion-focused therapy in relieving couples from distress and helping them to be more responsive to each other's needs, available to each other, and more companionate with each other, all of which can help reduce the levels of anxious and avoidant attachment styles in couples. Based on the results of the present study, it can be said that individual and couple emotion-focused therapy can be used as a treatment method to on attachment security in couples with extramarital relationships and priority of use is with couple emotion-focused therapy.

Keyword: emotion-focused therapy, attachment security, extramarital relationships.

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines:

this study, ethical considerations were meticulously observed, including: obtaining informed consent from couples with extramarital relationships to participate in therapeutic interventions; assuring participants that their responses would not be analyzed individually but as part of a group, with confidentiality guaranteed and no access granted to any third party; explaining the study process to all participants; informing them about the study's objectives, the harmlessness of the intervention, and its potential benefits; clarifying the expertise and qualifications of the intervention providers; assuring participants of the scientific foundation of the method; and notifying them of their right to withdraw freely at any stage of the study. Participants were also informed that a competent organization, such as the university, would oversee the research process. Additional measures included emphasizing the voluntary nature of the study, providing answers to their questions, offering access to the results upon request, and ensuring that intensive therapeutic sessions would be made available to the control group after the follow-up phase. Furthermore, this study received ethical approval under the code IR.IAU.TABRIZ.REC.1403.292 from the Ethics in Research Committee of the Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Funding: The study was conducted without the funding of any institution or organization.

Conflict of interest: According to the authors, this article has no funding or conflict of interest.

Authors’ contribution: The first author is the main researcher of this study. The second and third author is the supervisors and fourth author as advisor. This article is taken from a doctoral thesis of the first author.