Effectiveness of Cognitive Self-Compassion Training on Social exchange styles among Divorce Applicant Couples

Based on different theoretical explanations of the theory of social exchange increasing positive exchanges and decreasing negative exchanges is inherent in all approaches to intervention with couples. This study aimed to study the effect of cognitive self-compassion training on Social exchange styles among couples who were seeking divorce.

This was a quasi-experimental research with pre-test, post-test and follows up, as well as the control group. The study population consisted of all the couples seeking divorce who were referred to the counseling centers of Welfare Organization, Family Court and private centers in Shahreza city since April to October 2017 (N=300 couples). The sample included 30 voluntary couples that were randomly divided into two groups control and experimental. In the experimental group 10 training sessions were cond ucted with an average of 90- minutes.The participants answered to Social Exchange Styles Scale (Leybman et all, 2011) in three stages: pre-test, post-test and follow up. Data were analyzed by Mixed Model ANOVA.

Cognitive self-compassion training had a significant effect on fairness (p<0.035), tracking (p<0.043), benefit-seeking (p<0.001) in the post-test and this effect remains constant after 3- months follow–up. Also the resalts showed in both post-test and follow- up in exprimental group, the mean score of fairness, tracking and benefit-seeking’s women is lower than men that showed cognitive self-compassion training significantly decreased fairness and tracking on women and improved benefit-seeking on men(p<0.001).

Since such training can be used as an effective intervention method to reduce favor equity, accurate monitoring costs and benefit, individualism and to improve overinvestment in exchange relationships between couples.