Avoid falling for a jerk(ette): Effectiveness of the Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge Program among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Premarital education may help emerging adults form healthy relationships, but evaluation research is needed, particularly with community samples. We studied emerging adults in the Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge (PICK) program, using a pre- to post- and a posttest-then-retrospective-pretest design to examine change in perceived relationship skills, partner selection, relational patterns, and relationship behaviors and attitudes. Mixed models analyses showed that scores for the treatment group (n = 682) increased from pre to post on all four outcomes. Changes in scores for the nonequivalent comparison group (n = 462) were nonsignificant. In addition, significant differences between pre- and retrospective prescores demonstrated evidence for response shift bias. The results suggest that the PICK program helps participants increase their knowledge regarding the components of healthy relationship formation.

“I Don't Want to Make the Same Mistakes”: Relationship Education Among Low‐Income Single Adults

“…Both qualitative and quantitative results were consistent with past research, suggesting that relationship education for singles is associated with a decline in irrational beliefs about relationships (Adler‐Baeder et al, ; Bass, Drake, & Linney, ; Van Epp et al, ), an increase in communication and conflict resolution skills (Antle et al, ), and learning about relationship knowledge and partner selection (Adler‐Baeder et al, ; Bradford et al, ). Three of the four qualitative themes converged (see Figure ), offering broader process‐related information than a focus on program content alone.…”

“…For single participants, education is often focused on changes in attitudes and knowledge; thus, response shift may become a methodological issue (i.e., participants realize at posttest the inaccuracy or flaws in their previous ways of thinking). In a recent study of PICK participants, pretest means using the same measures were found to be statistically higher than retrospective pretest means, showing clear evidence of response shift bias (Bradford et al, ). Bias may thus be attenuated by using a retrospective design.…”

“…Another study of adolescents found statistically significant positive increases in relationship knowledge (Brower et al, ). Yet another study found that, relative to a comparison group, the treatment group of adult PICK participants from a community sample reported higher rates of relationship knowledge and knowledge about partner selection (Bradford, Stewart, Higginbotham, & Pfister, ). However, outcomes in past studies have varied by participant demographic factors; for example, in one study, older participants learned relatively less than younger participants (Antle et al, ), and in another, women gained relatively more knowledge than men (Bradford et al, ).…”

“…The limitations of retrospective methodology include demand characteristics and the potential for memory-related influence on participant recall (Pratt, McGuigan, & Katzev, 2000), and we were unable to triangulate the quantitative data using a traditional pretest-posttest comparison. However, prior research documenting response shift bias in pretest methodology (Bradford et al, 2016) suggests that the retrospective design may mitigate bias (Drennan & Hyde, 2008).…”

Teaching romantic competence skills to emerging adults: A relationship education workshop

“…We make no assumptions about the type of relationship one might choose (and this is highlighted in the workshop), and neither the information nor the skills we provide are geared toward any particular type of romantic or sexual relationship. We also explicitly focus on issues of partner selection, which is covered in some but not all programs (for an example that focuses specifically on partner selection, see Bradford et al, 2016). This is important.…”