The Effect of Communication Skills Training and Conflict Resolution Tactics on Marital Satisfaction of Married Women in Kermanshah

Background: Communicating skills training is one of the most important ways to enhance the marital adjustment and satisfaction. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of communication skills training and conflict resolution tactics on marital satisfaction in married women in Kermanshah during the year 2017. Methods: The study was conducted as a trial with a control group among 134 married women referring to Kermanshah health centers. The inclusion criteria of the study included living with a spouse in the first five years of marriage and minimum reading and writing literacy. The research subjects were selected by convenience sampling method. Demographic questionnaire, Enrich Couple Inventory, and Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) were completed by the subjects and a training workshop on beliefs and expectations from marital life and communication skills was provided for the intervention group. One month after the intervention, Enrich Couple Inventory and revised Conflict Tactics Scale were re-completed. Data were entered into IBMSPSS STATISTICS version 22 software and the effect of training intervention was investigated using Student T-Test and repeated measures. Results: Before the intervention, two groups of the study did not show a significant difference in demographic characteristics, conflict resolution tactics and communication skills. One month after the intervention, the mean scores of sub-scales of negotiation, aggressor negotiation, and victim negotiation of CTS2 scale were significantly higher in the intervention group than those in the control group. Most of the CTS2 subscales in the intervention group and some subscales in the control group had significant changes. Comparison of changes in the scores did not show a significant difference between the two groups. In examining the trajectory of changes, both groups showed significant changes in most subscales of the CTS2; however, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: In general, modification of beliefs and expectations from marital life and teaching communication skills in the form of short-term intervention can be effective in improving the methods of resolving conflict between couples. Since marital satisfaction is a complex concept, achieving more accurate results in this area requires more extensive studies.