The evaluation of a marital preparation programme. The increasing marital disruption and divorce amongst white South Africans has been a cause for concern amongst people in the helping professions for the past decade and more. The objective of this research was to develop and apply an Afrikaans marital preparation programme within a psycho-educational context and evaluate its short-term effects, as well as its long-term effects six months after marriage. The theoretical basis of the programme was general systems theory, incorporating certain behavioural and client-centred concepts. A Solomon four-group research design was selected for this investigation. Forty engaged couples participated in the study. Both objective scoring scales and self-report questionnaires were used as measuring instruments. The results of the investigation indicated that the engaged couples who participated in the programme had significantly better scores compared to the couples who did not participate. These differences were evident in all the variables that were evaluated, namely, relationship adjustment, empathic understanding, communication skills, positive reinforcement, problem-solving skills and intimacy. Furthermore, it was found that the effects of the marital preparation programme remained constant six months after marriage.Die toenemende huweliksverbrokkeling en egskeiding onder blanke Suid-Afrikaners wek reeds die afgelope paar dekades kommer by persone in die hulpverleningsprofessies. Die doe1 van hierdie ondersoek was om 'n Afrikaanse huweliksvoorbereidingsprogram, wat teoreties op die algemene sisteemteorie gebaseer is en waarbinne bepaalde gedragsterapeutiese en klientgesentreerde konsepte gelntegreer is, binne psigo-opleidingskonteks toe te pas ten einde die kort-en langtermyn effekte daarvan te bepaal. Die Solomon-viergroep navorsingsontwerp is in die ondersoek gebruik en 40 voornemende egpare het daaraan deelgeneem. Objektiewe beoordelingskale sowel as selfrapporteringsvraelyste is as meetinstrumente aangewend. Uit die eksperimentele evaluering van die huweliksvoorbereidingsprogram blyk dit dat die verloofde pare wat onderskeidelik aan die program deelgeneem het en nie deelgeneem het nie, op die korttermyn sowel as die langtermyn beduidend van mekaar verskil het. Die program het dus beter huweliksaanpassing en vaardighede tot gevolg gehad. Hierdie verskil geld vir al die veranderlikes wat geevalueer is, te wete verhoudingsaanpassing, empatiese begrip, kommunikasievaardighede, positiewe versterking, konflikhanteringsvaardighede en intimiteit. Verder is bevind dat die eff ekte van die huweliksvoorbereidingsprogram oor die langtermyn konstant gebly het.