Abstract
The present study investigated the effectiveness of marital therapies utilizing a meta-analytic format. Twenty-five studies of marital therapy outcome employing random assignment and no-treatment/waiting-list control groups were included in the analysis. Effect sizes were computed based on self-report relationship change focus outcome measures. Four classifications of approach to marital therapy including contracting with communication training, communication training, contracting, and insight-oriented were compared. No significant differences between approaches were detected posttherapy or at follow-up. The overall weighted mean effect size found for marital therapy was.85 and.73 at follow-up.