MFT5876 develops the research literacy that marriage and family therapists need to be informed consumers and contributors to the evidence base of their profession. The course addresses the unique methodological challenges of researching family variables — relational constructs, interactional processes, and systemic outcomes that are fundamentally different from the individual-level variables that dominate much of psychological research. This methodological sophistication is essential for clinicians who want to practice evidence-based therapy and contribute to the profession's knowledge base.
Research methods specific to MFT
Core competency areas
- Family variable measurement: Students evaluate the measurement challenges unique to family research — how to operationalize and measure relational constructs (relationship satisfaction, family cohesion, communication quality, attachment security) that exist between people rather than within individuals, including the challenge of reconciling different family members' perspectives on the same family variables
- Research design: The course examines research designs appropriate for MFT research — randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, single-case designs, process research, observational studies, and qualitative approaches — evaluating which designs are best suited to different research questions in couple and family therapy
- Data collection: Students learn data collection methods used in family research — self-report questionnaires, observational coding systems, physiological measures, interview protocols, and mixed-methods approaches — and how to evaluate the strengths and limitations of each method for capturing the complexity of family processes
- Validity and reliability: The course provides thorough grounding in the psychometric concepts essential for evaluating research quality — internal and external validity, construct validity, reliability (test-retest, inter-rater, internal consistency), and how these concepts apply specifically to the measurement of family variables
Evidence-based practice in MFT
MFT5876 connects research methods to clinical practice by developing students' capacity to evaluate the evidence base for different therapeutic approaches. Emotionally focused therapy, the Gottman Method, structural family therapy, multisystemic therapy, and other MFT approaches all claim evidence of effectiveness — but evaluating that evidence requires understanding research methodology well enough to assess the quality, applicability, and limitations of the studies that support these claims. MFT5876 produces clinicians who can critically read research, evaluate evidence claims, and integrate research findings into their clinical decision-making rather than relying solely on clinical intuition, training tradition, or marketing claims.
MFT5876 assignments include research critique papers, measurement evaluation projects, and research design proposals
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Research critiques, measurement evaluations, design proposals.
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Frequently asked questions
Clinical practice and research are fundamentally interconnected in contemporary MFT. Every clinical decision a therapist makes — which therapeutic approach to use, which assessment instruments to administer, how to conceptualize a presenting problem, what outcome to expect from treatment — is informed (implicitly or explicitly) by research. A clinician who cannot critically evaluate research evidence is at risk of adopting approaches based on marketing rather than evidence, continuing to use interventions that research shows are ineffective, or failing to adopt new approaches that evidence supports. MFT5876 produces clinicians who can read the research literature with a critical eye — distinguishing well-designed studies from poorly designed ones, recognizing when findings generalize to their clinical population and when they don't, and integrating research evidence with clinical experience and client preferences (the three pillars of evidence-based practice). Additionally, the COAMFTE accreditation standards require research methods training because the MFT profession maintains that its practitioners should be able to both consume and contribute to the knowledge base — even clinicians contribute through outcome monitoring, program evaluation, and clinical case studies.