The pre- and post-therapy measurement of communication skills of couples undergoing sex therapy at the Masters & Johnson Institute

Abstract

A battery of five paper and pencil questionnaires designed to measure empirically 10 specific skills hypothesized to be involved in effective interpersonal communication was employed to assess the pre- and post-therapy levels of these skills in couples undergoing treatment for sexual dysfunction at the Masters & Johnson Institute in St. Louis, Missouri. The females exhibited significant increases across the 2-week period of therapy for the following skills: positive assertion in intimate heterosexual peer relationships, assertiveness, verbal expression of feelings, and nonmaterial support and evidence of love. For the males significant increases in the following skills were obtained: assertiveness, verbal expression of feelings, self-disclosure, and tolerance of the less pleasant aspects of the loved one. A significant decrease was observed for the skill entitled feelings not expressed verbally to the loved one. Thus, both the females and males became more assertive and more able to express their feelings openly and thus more able to share more of themselves with their partners as a result of the therapy. These results lend empirical support to Masters and Johnson's theoretical model of communication and to the view that much more than simple behavior therapy is involved in a successful sex therapy program.