EFFECTIVENESS OF MARITAL COUNSELLING IN RESOLVING CONFLICT AMONG COUPLES IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the ef ectiveness of marital counselling in resolving conflict among couples in Abia State. Quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. The sample was 100 spouses. 50 spouses consisting of 25 males and 25 females were assigned to experimental group (treatment) while 50 spouses consisting of 25 males and 25 females were assigned to the control group. Conflict Resolution Questionnaire (CRQ) was used to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was trial tested using 20 couples and the results analyzed using Cronbach Alpha Coeficient which yielded a reliability coef icient of 0.79. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation to answer the research question, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that marital counselling had significant ef ect on couples' conflict resolution. The study recommended that: Spouses should be encouraged to exercise patience to avoid conflict, given that conflicts in marriage are inevitable, but they can be minimized through tolerance and accommodative spirit.