The marriage moments program for couples transitioning to parenthood: divergent conclusions from formative and outcome evaluation data.
This article presents the results of a pilot study of the Marriage Moments program, designed to prevent relationship deterioration during the 1st year of parenthood. The self-guided, low-intensity program emphasizes strengthening marital virtues and partnership during this time of significant personal and family transition. One hundred fifty-five married couples participated in a randomized clinical trial with 2 psychoeducational treatment groups (a self-guided group and an instructor-encouraged group) and a comparable control group. Despite positive formative evaluation results from program participants, hierarchical linear modeling analyses failed to find significant Group x Time differences on spouses' reports of marital virtues and a set of relational outcome measures. This failure reinforces the need for psychoeducators to invest in outcome evaluation research before claiming program success.
Hawkins
Alan J
AJ
School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. hawkinsa@byu.edu
Fawcett
Elizabeth B
EB
Carroll
Jason S
JS
Gilliland
Tamara T
TT
D000328:Adult; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011380:Programmed Instructions as Topic; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*