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Evaluation of a Preparation for Marriage Workshop

1986; Wiley; Volume: 35; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/584518

1741-3729

Samuel A. Nickols, David G. Fournier, Sharon Y. Nickols,

Health and Wellbeing Research

A preparation for marriage workshop was evaluated using pre- and post-workshop assessments of various personal and relationship issues related to marriage and a follow-up questionnaire. Areas of greatest improvement in individual and couple responses were communication and sexual relationships. Indecision about aspects of marital relationships was generally reduced. Few differences in pre- and post-test scores and respondents reports about the usefulness of workshop activities were observed between couples who married their workshop partner and those who did not leading to the conclusion that the workshop activities were benefical for both groups. Couples enrolled in 3 successive regularly scheduled semi-annual Preparation for Marriage Workshops in response to advertisements and referrals. Their goal was their own premarital preparation and they were unaware at the timeof enrollment that they would be asked to evaluate the workshop. 2 instruments were used to evaluate the workshop: the PREPARE Inventory and a follow-up survey. The PREPARE Inventory was designed to assess personal and relationship issues in 12 content areas related to marriage. Items included: idealistic distortion realistic expectations personality issues communication conflict resolution financial management leisure activities sexual relationship and children and marriage. The sample consisted of 30 couples. Among those who married the greatest changes between pre- and post-workshop scores have occurred in the categories of >exual Relationship Religious Orientation Financial Management Children and Marriage and Communication. Major reductions in positive couple agreement for those who chose not to marry appear in the categories of Financial Management Realistic Expectations Leisure Activities and Conflict Resolution.