ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the history, methods, and empirical support for the behavioral family of couple therapies: specifically, its “first wave,” traditional form, and its “third-wave,” integrative successor, which adds an emphasis on acceptance. Behavioral couple therapy is an application of the broader principles of behaviorism, particularly the concept of reinforcement. When a stimulus that follows a behavior increases the frequency, duration, or magnitude of that behavior, the behavior is said to have been reinforced by the stimulus. The behavioral intervention strategy outlined by N. S. Jacobson and G. Margolin has four primary components: assessment, behavior exchange, problem solving, and communication training. Therapists teach couples to agree on a clear and behavioral definition of the problem in a way that acknowledges the roles of both partners. Where “traditional change” typically refers to focusing attention on changing the behavior of the “wrong-doer” in a conflict, “acceptance” focuses on modifying the other partner’s response to this behavior.
