Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Training on Anger Rumination and Perceived Sacrificial Behaviors in Couples with Marital Problems

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-based training on anger rumination and perceived sacrificial behaviors in couples experiencing marital problems. This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with marital problems who attended specialized counseling centers affiliated with the Justice Department in Babol, Iran, in 1405 SH. Using convenience sampling, 32 participants (16 couples) were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (16 participants; 8 couples) and a control group (16 participants; 8 couples). The experimental group received eight one-hour sessions of Acceptance and Commitment-based training based on the Hayes et al. model, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Anger Rumination Scale developed by Sukhodolsky et al. (2001) and the Perceived Sacrificial Behaviors Questionnaire developed by Harper and Figuerres (2008). The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the combined dependent variables after controlling for pretest scores (Wilks’ Lambda=0.231, F(2,27)=44.987, p<0.001). The Pillai’s Trace (0.769), Hotelling’s Trace (3.332), and Roy’s Largest Root (3.332) tests were also statistically significant (p<0.001). The direction of the effects indicated that Acceptance and Commitment-based training significantly reduced anger rumination and improved participants’ perceptions of their partners’ sacrificial behaviors compared with the control condition. Acceptance and Commitment-based training appears to reduce maladaptive engagement with anger-related thoughts while promoting psychological flexibility and value-consistent responses in intimate relationships. Accordingly, this intervention may contribute to lower anger rumination and more positive perceptions of partners’ sacrificial behaviors and may be considered a useful approach in counseling and couple-therapy programs for couples experiencing marital difficulties.