Seeking Participants for Couple Research (Revised)

[carov]

Hi there (again),

I am re-posting this request (originally posted 20/09) after revising the participant criteria in order to attract a wider audience. The reason being is that I have been contacted by women who have a real interest in this research and willing to participate yet their male partners aren?t keen to talk about it at all. So I have removed the interest in gender difference so that it is now open to couples of all sexual orientations. To re-cap:

The feeling that a relationship has ?lost its spark? is a very common experience that many committed couples live with. There has been much research into this area, in particular with individuals who are in a relationship. However, the all-important question: how does this experience look from the perspective of both partners? has been largely ignored. My experience as a couple?s counsellor has shown me that we don?t make sense of our world in isolation. Rather, it is often the subtle interactions with those closest to us: the unique interplay of personal meanings that happens between people that shape how we understand and respond to one another. The aim of this research is to capture the experience of actual couples (as opposed to just one half of a partnership) which is the reason why this study will be such an important addition to couple research.

I am aware that while the majority of couples experience this phenomenon at some point in their relationships they don?t necessarily feel comfortable talking about it. Some couples have expressed that they feel like they have failed when they describe the experience of losing the spark in their relationship. I would like to emphasise that ?losing the spark? just like transitioning beyond the ?honeymoon period?, is a normal occurrence in most relationships and does not mean that the relationship is wrong or has failed, or that the spark cannot be rekindled.

Participant criteria: Couples of all sexual orientations who have been together for 3 years or more and not currently in counselling. In a stable relationship (i.e. no serious conflicts) yet they both feel that they have lost the ?spark? between them.

What will your participation involve? You will be invited to take part in an individual one-to-one 60 minute interview that will take place in a quiet and private room at a local health centre in Crystal Palace or at your own home if preferred. You will be treated with respect, and not judged or personally analysed in any way. The identity of participants will only be known by me and all steps will be taken to ensure your anonymity.

Ethical Approval: My research has been approved by the School of Psychology Research Ethics Committee at the University of East London. This means that my research follows the standard of research ethics set by the British Psychological Society.

If interested please PM me.

Many thanks