Schema-specific inefficiencies in marital interactions: a qualitative research using grounded theory method

Schemas have an impact on the communication beliefs and conflict resolution patterns of couples and are formed from the contrast of mood and socio-cultural and educational stimuli. As a result, to understand them, it is necessary to pay attention to the cultural context and people's lived experience.

The purpose of this research is to identify dysfunctional and schema-oriented interactional patterns of couples based on the context of Iranian society and to present a conceptual model that was conducted using a qualitative method based on grounded theory.

The research population was couple therapists with a schema-oriented approach in Tehran, who were selected through targeted sampling of the accessible type. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 8 pairs of therapists and were analyzed in three stages of open, central and selective coding. To evaluate the validity of the findings of the interviews, the participants' reflection method and the review of non-participant experts were used.

The results of the research indicated two main categories and 14 main categories, which in the form of a paradigm model include2 main categories (insecurity and undifferentiatedness), causal conditions (family system, parents' parenting style, role models from parents, ineffective traditions and teachings, recommendation to mistrust, experiencing rejection and humiliation), contextual conditions (culture), mediating conditions (intra-individual factors, environmental factors), strategies (avoidance, submission, extreme compensation) and consequences (ineffective interactions) were organized.

The results of this research showed that it is necessary to pay attention to the cultural context and people's lived experience in order to better understand and resolve marital relationship conflicts. Identifying and understanding these ineffective and schema-oriented interactive patterns can help in designing more effective treatment and counseling programs for couples in Iranian society.