Benue State University, Makurdi

EFFECT OF MARITAL COUNSELLING ON COUPLES' CONFLICT RESOLUTION OF MEMBERS OF EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH OF CHRIST (ERCC) IN NASSARAWA STATE AND ABUJA

Yohanna Yakubu Angolo ¹ and Joseph Audu Obida, PhD²
1 & 2 Department of Educational Foundations, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of marital counselling on conflict resolution among members of Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ (ERCC) in Nasarawa State and Abuja. Quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. The sample was 100 spouses. 50 spouses consisting of 25 males and 25 females were assigned to experimental group (treatment) while 50 spouses consisting of 25 males and 25 females were assigned to the control group. Questionnaire on Conflict Resolution (QCR) was used to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was trial tested using 20 couples and the results analyzed using Cronbach Alpha Coefficient which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.79. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation to answer the research question, while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that marital counselling had significant effect on couples' conflict resolution. The study recommended that: Spouses should be encouraged to exercise patience to avoid conflict, given that conflicts in marriage are inevitable, but they can be minimized through tolerance and accommodative spirit.