Effectiveness of relationship enhancement therapy versus therapist's preferred therapy

Five marital therapists, averaging six years of experience, were given a three-day training program in Relationship Enhancement (RE) therapy, their first exposure to the method. Then, assigned by strictly random means, half the couples each therapist saw were treated with RE and half by the therapist's own preferred non-RE method. After a predetermined 10-week period, the 24 participants in each of the two treatment conditions were posttested. Participants receiving RE therapy showed more gains relative to the gains shown by those receiving the therapist's preferred treatment on all measures used. The measures assessed the quality of their (a) communication, (b) general relationship, and (c) marital adjustment. In light of the magnitude of changes observed in this study compared to another RE study with a less disturbed sample, these hypotheses were suggested for further research: the more serious the marital disturbance, the greater the gains resulting from RE (a) absolutely and (b) relative to gains obtained using other methods.