Behavior analysis in marriage counseling: A methodological review of the research hterature

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Juan José Sánchez Sosa

Abstract


Marital distress is progressively becoming a severe social problem. Under sorne social circumstaoces, crime aod delinquency is greater for children of unhappy or brokeo heme,, alcoholism is more frequent among the sepaxated, and marital distress precedes about halfof the first admissions to mental hospitals. Recently, nurnerous behavior analysts have conducted research on the effects of behavioral technology on marital distress. The most reliable results point out that procedures such as behavioral contracting, training couples on verbal aoci nonverbal interactioo, target behaviors defioitioo, problem analysis and ne¬gotiating skills, among others, are successful it, alleviating marital distress. These procedures also show supetiority when they are compared with others derived from psychodynarnic conceptions. The research methodology of many of these behavioral studies, ho-wever, shows sorne severe limitations. The malo weaknesses include: lack of reliable dependentmeasures, lack of validity of independent procedures, incompetent experimental designs and personal research biases. Sorne methodological procedures are suggested to improve the quality of further studies and a summary table abstracts the status of this research aiea.

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How to Cite
Sánchez Sosa, J. J. (2011). Behavior analysis in marriage counseling: A methodological review of the research hterature. Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis, 1(2), 149–156. https://doi.org/10.5514/rmac.v1.i2.26931