Effectiveness of Marital Empowerment Program Based on Positive Schemas on Marital Empathy and Self Compassion of Couples

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Pegah Mehrtalab ¹

hossein davudi ²

Davud Taghvaei ³

¹ Ph.D Student of Counseling, Ar.C. , Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Khom.C. , Islamic Azad University, Khomein, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ar.C. , Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.

10.22067/tpccp.2026.94393.1805

Abstract

Extended Abstract
Introduction
Marital stability and satisfaction, as key indicators of a successful family institution (Soltanolketabi & Dashti, 2023), are influenced by a multitude of factors, including marital empathy (Tahmaseby & Khorramabadi, 2023) and self-compassion. Marital empathy—the capacity of spouses to empathically understand each other’s emotions and thoughts and to respond to them with appropriate emotional reactions (Billington et al., 2007)—is directly associated with constructive interactions and the resolution of interpersonal problems between coples (Jomepour & Mahmoudipour, 2019). Moreover, self-compassion, which comprises self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness (Neff, 2003), plays a significant role in relationship satisfaction. Concurrently, a substantial body of research indicates that positive schemas, as the corresponding adaptive counterparts of early maladaptive schemas in Young’s model, are associated with positive psychological outcomes (Louis et al., 2018). Nevertheless, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, no prior investigation has examined the relationship between positive schemas and critical components of marital life such as empathy and self-compassion. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a positive schema-based marital empowerment program on couples’ marital empathy and self-compassion.
 
Method
This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a non-equivalent control group and a 45-day follow-up period. The statistical population comprised all couples residing in Arak city, during the year 2023. Following a public call for participation, and in accordance with the recommended sample size for experimental and quasi-experimental research while accounting for potential attrition, 24 couples who met the inclusion criteria were selected from among the volunteers and randomly assigned to an experimental group (12 couples) and a control group (12 couples).
The research instruments consisted of the Marital Empathy Scale (Jollife & Farrington, 2006), the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), and the Young Schema Questionnaire (Young, 2003). The intervention employed was the “Positive Schema-Based Marital Empowerment Program,” which was developed on the basis of the positive schemas identified in the study by Mehrtalab et al. (2024). This program was delivered to the experimental group in 11 weekly, 90-minute group sessions. The content validity of the program, assessed using Lawshe’s content validity ratio (CVR) by eight family therapists, yielded a coefficient of .93. Data were collected at three time points—pretest, posttest, and follow-up—and were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS 26.
 
Findings
The results of the Shapiro–Wilk test indicated that the scores for self-compassion and marital empathy in both the experimental and control groups conformed to a normal distribution. Furthermore, Levene’s test confirmed the homogeneity of variances across groups, and Box’s M test demonstrated that the assumption of homogeneity of covariance matrices was satisfied. The results of Pillai’s trace revealed a significant multivariate main effect for time (F_{4, 15} = 27.44, p > 0.001, V = .88). A significant multivariate main effect was also found for group (F_{2, 17} = 47.14, p > 0.001, V = .85). Additionally, the Group × Time interaction yielded a significant multivariate effect (F_{4, 15} = 33.00, p > 0.001, V = .89).
Univariate within-group analyses of variance indicated significant differences across the measurement occasions for self-compassion (F_{1.75, 31.60} = 68.44, p > 0.001, η² = .79), and for marital empathy (F_{1.58, 28.58} = 51.36, p > 0.001, η² = .65). The Group × Time interaction was also significant for self-compassion (F_{1.75, 31.60} = 4.79, p > 0.001, η² = .82), and for marital empathy (F_{1.58, 28.58} = 47.98, p > 0.001, η² = .73).
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings demonstrated that the positive schema-based marital empowerment programme was effective in increasing marital empathy and self-compassion among couples. The absence of comparable studies examining the effectiveness of positive schemas on components of marital life renders direct comparison of the present results with prior research challenging. Nevertheless, the findings can be elucidated by considering that the programme was designed upon fundamental psychological needs and positive schemas, the role of which in enhancing marital empathy and self-compassion is substantiated by both theoretical and empirical foundations. The increase in marital empathy was achieved through strengthening positive schemas related to enduring attachment, health, and safety—fostering mindfulness and sensitivity to the partner's emotions—and through empathic attention. Moreover, emotion regulation, cultivated within the self-control schema, played a pivotal role in improving the affective component of empathy. The enhancement of self-compassion is explained by the positive schemas of self-acceptance (reducing self-blame), the reinforcement of secure attachment (activating the safety system), and mindfulness exercises (heightening awareness of one's own suffering). Accordingly, it can be argued that the couple empowerment programme centres on the formation and reinforcement of a mature, empathic, and accepting mindset in partners through the activation and strengthening of positive schemas. In light of the obtained results, this programme possesses adequate educational validity to serve as a primary-level preventive intervention for enhancing marital empathy and self-compassion in couples. It is recommended that the activation and reinforcement of positive schemas be emphasised in couple relationship enrichment programmes.

Keywords

Marital empowerment program

Positive schemas

Marital empathy

Self-compassion

Subjects

• Family and Marriage

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