The Effectiveness of Self-Differentiation Treatment on Egocentrism and Marital Adjustment in Couples Based on Bowen’s Family Systems Theory

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD in General Psychology, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran.

2 Department of Psychology and Educational Science, Payam Noor University Of Qom, Qom, Iran.

3 Department of Psychology, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of self-differentiation therapy on couples’ egocentrism and marital adjustment based on Bowen’s family systems theory. It is an applied and quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population is 56 couples who contacted NAJA counseling centers in Tehran in 2018. The criteria for inclusion in the study were assigned by a psychiatrist. It included the absence of personality disorders, absence of chronic mental disorders, absence of addiction, and couples identified as dynamic in a diagnostic interview, a problem related to demarcation. In addition, the self-report of the subjects confirmed that they were not on the verge of divorce and did not have chronic physical illnesses. Therefore, 15 couples were in the experimental group and 15 couples were in the control group. The Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (LWMAT) and the Lapsley Ego-Centrism Questionnaire (LAPCEL) were used. Repeated measures were used and the hypothesis was tested using SPSS-21 software with a mixed analysis design. Differentiation therapy significantly contributed to the improvement of marital adjustment (P = 0.001). In egocenterism, results of Personal Fable Scale (PFS) indicated that the therapy affected uniqueness (P = 0.048) and the omnipotence and vulnerability components (P = 0.001). The therapy has been also affected the fantasy variable (P = 0.001). The 1-month follow-up of the results showed the stability of the effects of the intervention. Therefore, the intervention increased compatibility and decreased egocentrism of couples in the experimental group compared with the control group in the posttest and follow-up phases. So this model can be used by family counselors and therapists

Keywords

References

آقایوسفی، ع.، زارع، ح.، و پوربافرانی، س. (1392). برآورد مقدماتی پایایی و روایی مقیاس‌های افسانه‌پردازی شخصی و خیال‌پردازی جدید: مقیاس‌هایی برای سنجش خودمیان‌بینی در بزرگسالان. دوفصلنامۀ علمی-پژوهشی شناخت اجتماعی. 2(3)، 68-52.
بکیان، ع.، و افشاری‌نیا، ک. (1398). برازش مدل نقش واسطه‌ای دلزدگی زناشویی در رابطۀ بین تمایزیافتگی خود، سبک‌های حل تعارض و انتظارات زناشویی در پیش‌بینی سازگاری زناشویی در زنان و مردان متأهل شهر کرمانشاه. مجلۀ روش‌های مدل‌های روان‌شناختی. 2(38)، 246-225.
ثنایی، ب. (1377). مقیاس‌های سنجش خانواده و ازدواج. تهران: بعثت.
سرمد، ز.، بازرگان، ع.، و حجازی، آ. (1386). روش‌های تحقیق در علوم رفتاری. تهران: انتشارات آگاه.
رحمت‌اللهی، ف.، و فاتحی‌زاده، م. (1385). آسیب‌های زندگی زناشویی. تازه‌های روان‌درمانی. 2(41)، 26-8.
طالبی، م.، و غباری بناب، ب. (1391). تعیین رابطۀ تمایزیافتگی خود، هوش هیجانی و رضایت زناشویی در مراکز مشاورۀ شهر شاهرود. مجلۀ زن و مطالعات خانواده. 5(18)، 32-15.
سلیمان‌نژاد موسوی، م،. (1394).  پیش بینی رضایت زناشویی بر اساس سبکهای دلبستگی و مولفه های تمایزیافتگی مقالۀ کنفرانس بین‌المللی مدیریت و علوم انسانی. 9 آذر 1394. دبی، امارات متحده عربی.
سرکشیک‌زاده، ف.، تقوایی، د.، و پیرانی، ذ. (1397). بررسی رابطۀ خودمیان‌بینی، قدرتمندی من و عوامل شخصیت با رضایت زناشویی. تهران: دانشگاه اراک.
پیاژه، ژ.، (1374). دیدگاه پیاژه در گسترۀ تحول روانی. ترجمۀ محمد منصور و پریرخ دادستان، تهران: بعثت.
عارفی، م.، رحیمی، ر.، و شیخ‌اسمعیلی، د. (1395). پیش‌بینی سازگاری زناشویی زوج‌های جوان فرهنگی برمبنای میزان تمایزیافتگی از خانوادۀ اصلی و رضایت زناشویی والدین. فصلنامۀ خانواده و پژوهش. 2(13)، 106-87.
ولدخانی، ج. (1387). بررسی رابطۀ منزلت‌های هویتی من و خودمتمایزسازی با سازگاری زناشویی در مردان و زنان متأهل دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی. پایان‌نامۀ کارشناسی ارشد. دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی تهران.
محمدی، ف.، جعفری، آ.، و باباخانی، و. (1391). رابطۀ خودمتمایزسازی و سطح تحول من با میزان سازگاری زوجین. فصلنامۀ علوم رفتاری. 4(14)، 125-114.
مظاهری، م. (1379). ارتباط تفکرات غیرمنطقی و الگوهای دلبستگی با سازگاری زناشویی. مجلۀ خانواده‌پژوهی. 1(4)، 378-369.
موسوی چلک، ح. (1384). تحلیلی آمار ازدواج و طلاق در کشور. مجلۀ برنامه. 156، 10-8.
مؤمنی، خ.، و علیخانی، م. (1392). رابطۀ عملکرد خانواده، تمایزیافتگی خود و تاب‌آوری با استرس، اضطراب و افسردگی در زنان متأهل شهر کرمانشاه. فصلنامۀ مشاوره و روان‌درمانی خانواده. 2(3)، 320-298.
نوابی‌نژاد، ش.، باباخانی، و.، و کریمی، ن. (1393). اثربخشی آموزش خودمتمایزسازی بر صمیمیت و سازگاری زوجین. اولین کنگرۀ ملی روان‌شناسی خانواده؛ گامی در ترسیم الگوی مطلوب خانواده. اهواز. انجمن علمی روان‌شناسی خانوادۀ ایران. دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز.
یعقوبی، آ.، و محمد زاده، س. (1395). بررسی آموزش اثر آموزش دیدگاه گیری بر سبک‌های حل تعارض زوجین. فصلنامۀ فرهنگ مشاوره و روان‌درمانی. 7(28)، 62-48.
Affleck, G. (1975). Role-taking ability and interpersonal conflict resolution among retarded young adults. American Journal of Mental Deficities. 80(2), 233-246.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th Ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Bali, A.,Dhingra,R.,& Baru, A.(2010). Marital adjustment of childless couples. Journal of Social Science, 24(1), 73-76.
Ben‐Ari, R., & Hirshberg, I. (2009). Attachment styles, conflict perception, and adolescents' strategies of coping with interpersonal conflict. Negotiation Journal, 25(1), 59-82.
Bowen, M. (1993). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.
 Bohlander, R. W. (1999). Differentiation of self, need fulfillment, and psychological well-being in married men. Psychological reports, 84(3_suppl), 1274-1280.
Chambers, J. R., De Dreu, C. K., & Carsten K. W. (2014). Egocentrism Drives Conflict Misperceptions. Academic Press. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 5(1), 15-26.
Corcoran, K. J., Fischer, J. (1987). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook. New York: The Free Press.
Davis, A. N., Martin-Cuellar, A., & Luce, H. (2019). Life events and prosocial behaviors among young adults: Considering the roles of perspective taking and empathic concern. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 180(4-5), 205-216.
Epstein, N. B., & Baucom, D. H. (2002). Enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy for couples: A contextual approach. American Psychological Association.
Flavell, J. H. (2004). Theory-of-mind development: Retrospect and prospect. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly (1982-), 274-290.
Freitas, J.P, Rodríguez Gonzalez, M, Crabtee S, & Martine, M. V. (2020). Differentiation of Self, Couple Adjustment and Family Life Cycle: A Cross-Sectional Study. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 48(4), 250-262.
Gehlbach, H., Brinkworth, M. E., & Wang, M. T. (2012). The social perspective taking process: What motivates individuals to take another's perspective?. Teachers College Record, 114(1), 1-29.
Gaal, F. S. (2005). The role of differentiation of self and death anxiety in predicting marital adjustment following the death of an adult, married-child's biological parent. Seton Hall University.
Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family Therapy: An Overview. Eighth Edition. Belmont: Brools Cole & Cengage Learning.
Haws, W., & Mallinckrodt, B. (1998). Separation individuation from family of origin and marital adjustment of recently married couple. American Journal of FamilyTherapy, 26(4), 293-307.
Heintzelman, A., Murdock, N. L., Krycak, R. C., & Seay, L. (2014). Recovery from infidelity: Differentiation of self, trauma, forgiveness, and posttraumatic growth among couples in continuing relationships. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 3(1), 13–29.
Hill, A. (2009). Predictors of relationship satisfaction: The link between cognitive flexibility, compassionate love and level of differentiation. Alliant International University, Los Angeles.
Knerr, M. R. (2008). Differentiation & power in couple therapy. Dissertiation for the Degree Doctor of philosophy the Ohio state university. Retrieved from http:/etd.ohiolink.edu/
Kerr, M. E., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation. New York: Norton.
Lapsley, D. K. (1993). Towards an integrated theory of adolescent ego development: The “new look” at adolescent egocentrism. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63, 562–571.
Lapsley, D. K., Flannery, D. J., Gottschich, H., & Raney, M. (1996). Sources of rish and resilience in adolescent mental health, poster session presented at the sixth biennial meeting of the society for research on adolescence. Boston. MA.
LeBlanc, E., Gilin, A., Calnan, K., & Solarz, B. (2012). Perspective Taking, Empathy, and Relational Conflict at Work: An Investigation among Participants in a Workplace Conflict Resolution Program. Intl. Association for Conflict Management, IACM 25th Annual Conference.
Lock, H. J., & Wallace, K. M. (1959). Short marital-adjustment a predictiontests: Their reliability and validity. Marriage and Family Living, 2(21), 251-255.
Long, E. (1990). Perspective - taking differences between high- and low - adjustment marriages: Implications for those in intervention. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 2(11), 126-131.
Mosoko, J. (2009). Communication and attachment dimension‘s in parital fulfillment of the requirement. For the degree of doctor of philosophy. Purduec University.
Miron, A. M., Kulibert, D., Petrouske, A., & Saltigerald, B. (2017). Perspective taking, self-anchoring, and attention to context in long distance and geographically close romantic relationships. Journal of Relationship Research, 12(8), 1-14.
 Ozbiler, E. I. S., Schweer-Collins, M., & Rodríguez Gonzalez, M. (2020). Differentiation of Self Predicts Life Satisfaction through Marital Adjustment. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 48(3), 235-249.
Olson, D. H., & Defrain, J. (2006). Marriages and families intimacy, diversity strengths (5th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Patrick, S. S., Sells, J. N., Giordano, F. G., & Follerud, T. R. (2007). Intimacy, differentiation and personality variables as predictors of marital satisfaction. The Family Journal, 6(15), 359-367.
Peterson-Post, K. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Stanley, S. M. (2014). Perceived Criticism and Marital Adjustment Predict Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample. Behavior Therapy, 45, 564-578.
Peleg, O. (2008). The relation between differentiation of self and marital satisfaction: what can be learned from married people over the course of life? The American Journal of Family Therapy, 42(36), 388-401.
Peleg, O., & Zoabi, M. (2014). Social anxiety and differentiation of self: A comparison of Jewish and Arab college students. Personality and Individual Differences, 6(8), 221-228.
Titelman, P. (2008). Triangles: Bowen family systems theory perspectives. The Haworth Press, Taylor & Francis Group: New York and London.
Samuel, S, Roehr-Brackin, K., Jelbert, S., & Clayton, N. S. (2018). Flexible egocentricity: Asymmetric switch costs on a perspective-taking task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 37(3), 89-103.
 Sandage, S. J., & Jankowski, P. J. (2010). Forgiveness, spiritual instability, mental health symptoms, and well-being: Mediator effects of differentiation of self. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(3), 168-180.
Surtees, A. D., & Apperly, I. A. (2012). Egocentrism and automatic perspective taking in children and adults. Child Development, 83(2), 452–460.
Skowron, E. A., & Dendy, A. K. (2004). Differentiation of self and attachment in adulthood: relational correlates of effortful control. Contemporary Family Therapy, 26(3), 337-357.
Young, M. E., & Long, L. L. (2006). Counseling and therapy for couples. John Willy, Brooks Cole, Publishing Company, USA.
Journal of Applied Psychological Research
Volume 12, Issue 4
February 2022
Pages 421-440

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 11 November 2020
  • Accept Date: 27 February 2021
  • First Publish Date: 20 February 2022
  • Publish Date: 20 February 2022

Share

How to cite

Statistics