Marriage Education: what do we know? What should we do about it?

By Harry Benson

The effects of “Marriage Education”

Nonetheless many courses have been evaluated - for better, for worse. They can be described in terms of three general course types (12). Understanding the distinction between stability and satisfaction should help explain the differences in subsequent course evaluation.

1. “Information & Awareness courses”.
   
   These courses seek to raise awareness, dispel myths and generally impart helpful information and insight about marriage. The nature of these courses tends to be eclectic and personal.
   
   Typical subject matter might include the so-called five “love languages”. Many people find it helpful to learn that husbands and wives may communicate their love in different ways – whether Time, Touch, Gifts, Words or Actions. Other subject matter might include “emotional needs”, “marriage maps”, “sexuality”, “in-laws”, “money”, and simple exercises in “communication” & “conflict resolution”.
   
   But because different courses are so personal and non-standardised, they are especially hard to evaluate. Nonetheless, many small-scale studies have generally found that these type of courses help improve self-reported marital satisfaction in the short-term. This suggests that courses are successful in building up the key positive factors.
   
   Unfortunately, even this evidence is somewhat diminished because almost all of these studies are methodologically weak. For example, most studies have no control or comparison group of similar couples who did either a different course or no course at all. Most also do not follow-up couples beyond six months.
   
   But what should be of more concern is that there is no published evidence to date that any of these courses improve marital stability over time. This may seem surprising given the claims sometimes made about such courses. The finding may be easier to accept by considering whether any of these courses specifically address the all-important negative factors affecting stability.
   


2. “Inventories”.
   
   In the UK, two inventories (or questionnaires) are available – “FOCCUS” and “PREPARE”. These are basically personalised awareness-raising courses facilitated by an individual or couple. An inventory consists of a standardised list of statements based on subjects or domains that predict marital outcomes. A profile is then produced based on the degree of agreement within the couple on each subject.
   
   Studies have found that these profiles are remarkably accurate predictors of both satisfaction and stability up to 5 years later (13). What this means is that the inventories are covering the right territory – in terms of both positive and negative factors. Unfortunately it is by no means clear that the courses are necessarily changing marital behaviours and outcomes for the better – which is the ultimate aim.
   
   However anecdotal evidence from both programme originators suggests that 10-15% of all couples are choosing to defer or cancel their weddings after completing the inventory. These couples tend to have high risk profiles anyway(14).
   


3. “Skills courses”.
   
   These are structured programmes usually involving teaching, demonstration and coaching of the skills that predict marital outcomes, according to research. Three courses of this type have been studied: “Relationship Enhancement” (RE), “Couple Communication” (CC), and “Prevention & Relationship Enhancement Programme” (PREP).
   
   Studies comparing RE with “Information & Awareness courses” find that RE is the more successful at increasing marital satisfaction. RE’s main goal is to build “empathy”.
   
   PREP’s twin goals are to reduce negative behaviours – those “dynamic” factors that are both open to change and most predictive of marital stability – and to increase positive behaviours – those “dynamic” factors most predictive of marital satisfaction(15). The only published studies that have looked at changes in marital stability beyond six months using control groups as comparison involve PREP.
   
   Four recent studies in the US, Germany & Australia - all with PREP - showed increases in marital satisfaction and sustained reduction in divorce rates up to 5 years later. Two other studies of PREP, both of which have major methodological shortcomings making them hard to interpret, found no apparent benefits. A major study is currently underway in the US that aims to address these and other shortcomings (16).