{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T06:05:45Z","timestamp":1784009145283,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783987200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Sociol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Marital conflict remains a persistent challenge among couples in Nigeria, often driven by deep-rooted maladaptive cognitive schemas, dysfunctional behavioural patterns, and poor self-differentiation. This study examined marital conflict resolution through Schema Therapy and Mutual Behaviour Analysis for enhanced self-differentiation among married couples in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A quasi-experimental pretest\u2013posttest control group design was adopted, involving 45 married couples. The instruments used were the Maladaptive Schema and Behavioural Patterns in Marital Conflict Scale (MSBPMC) and the Self-Differentiation Questionnaire (SDQ). Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Findings revealed that emotional deprivation, abandonment\/insecurity, and unrelenting standards were the most dominant maladaptive schemas, while demand\u2013withdraw, emotional withdrawal, and avoidance behaviours were most prevalent. Couples also exhibited low self-differentiation characterized by emotional reactivity and dependence. Both Schema Therapy and Mutual Behaviour Analysis significantly reduced marital conflict and improved self-differentiation, with Schema Therapy showing a slightly greater effect. The combined ST+MBA model was most effective.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion and recommendations<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study concludes that integrative therapeutic approaches are essential for effective marital conflict resolution.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2026.1866983","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T05:40:38Z","timestamp":1784007638000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Marital conflict resolution through schema therapy and mutual behaviour analysis for enhanced self-differentiation in Kwara State"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Lateef Omotosho","family":"Adegboyega","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Educational Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adeola Aminat","family":"Odebode","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Educational Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel Kolawole","family":"Ajiboye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Educational Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfred Olatayo","family":"Awoyemi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Educational Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Segun Olayide","family":"Odutayo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrasaq Olatunji","family":"Balogun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin","place":["Ilorin, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","first-page":"112","article-title":"Sexual satisfaction as determinant of marital stability among married adults in Kwara state, Nigeria","volume":"28","author":"Adebayo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Afr. 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