Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study.

摘要: In this meta-analytic study, the authors examined efficacy of marriage and relationship education (MRE) on 2 common outcomes: quality communication skills. A thorough search produced 86 codable reports that yielded 117 studies more than 500 effect sizes. The sizes for experimental ranged from d = .30 to .36, while skills .43 .45. Quasi-experimental generated smaller sizes, but these appeared be due pretest group differences. Moderate-dosage programs larger did low-dosage programs. For skills, published had effects those unpublished at follow-up; there were no publication differences quality. There was evidence a gender difference. Unfortunately, lack racial/ethnic economic diversity in samples prevented reliable conclusions about effectiveness MRE disadvantaged couples, crucial deficit body research. addition, intervention outcomes important policy makers, such as stability aggression, rarely have been addressed.