The Efficacy of the Gottman Premarital Education Model on Empathy and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Engaged Couples

Abstract

Background: Marriage is a foundational interpersonal bond with substantial biopsychosocial and cognitive implications. Given its central role in social stability and personal development, enhancing premarital awareness and relational competencies is essential. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Gottman Premarital Education Model in improving empathy and cognitive emotion regulation in engaged couples. Methods: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest control-group design with a three-month follow-up and was conducted in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2024. A convenience sample of 40 engaged individuals (20 couples) was recruited and randomly assigned by couple to an experimental group or a waitlist control group (20 individuals/10 couples per group). The experimental group attended 10 weekly 90-minute Gottman relationship-enrichment sessions. Data were collected using the Mehrabian and Epstein Empathy Scale (EES) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni-adjusted comparisons was performed using SPSS version 26. Results: Despite baseline imbalances in adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation scores between the groups, Gottman-based premarital training significantly increased empathy and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and reduced maladaptive strategies in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). These improvements were sustained at the three-month follow-up. Conclusions: The Gottman Premarital Education Model may improve empathy and cognitive emotion regulation among engaged couples in the short term, with gains maintained at the three-month follow-up. The longer-term effects on marital outcomes require further investigation.