Date

4-2022

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Pamela Moore

Keywords

Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Attachment, Trauma, Infidelity

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

A quasi-experimental pilot study of fourteen heterosexual couples, twenty-eight participants, was conducted to assess whether Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP) was effective in reducing marital distress and improving marital satisfaction in the areas of communication, commitment, and trust post infidelity for high-conflict couples. This study was important due to the fact that roughly thirty percent of couples engaged in marital infidelity (Norona et al., 2018). Fourteen heterosexual couples volunteered and were chosen from the clinician’s private mental-health practice to participate in a quasi-experimental pilot study. Four self-report assessments were implemented, including the Kansas Marital Conflict Scale (KMCS), Interpersonal Communication Skills Inventory, Commitment-Investment Model Scale, and Trust in Close Relationship Scale. All assessments were administered pre- and post-intervention; four dependent variables included marital distress, marital communication, marital commitment, and trust. An independent t-test was conducted for each variable. Results for this pilot study concluded that Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP) is an effective form of treatment, but further research is needed. Also, Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP) does not effectively improve marital communication for high-conflict couples than Phase II of EFT without AIRP. Recommendations for future research would include a study on a larger population, more diverse ethnicities, and additional domains for testing, including sexual satisfaction and forgiveness.

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