Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract: Gaslighting behaviour in marital relationships represents a form of psychological manipulation that undermines emotional well-being, relational trust, and marital satisfaction. This study investigated the effectiveness of Insight-Oriented Marital Therapy (IOMT) in reducing gaslighting behaviour among married individuals in the Ibadan metropolis, while examining the moderating roles of emotional maturity and conflict transformational skills. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed, with 45 married individuals (IOMT group n=20, Control group n=25) selected through multistage random sampling from three Local Government Areas in Ibadan. Participants were assessed using the Graves and Samp Gaslighting Scale, Emotional Maturity Scale, and Conflict Transformational Skills Scale. The IOMT intervention consisted of eight weekly sessions focusing on exploration of unconscious patterns, family-of-origin influences, and emotional insight development. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests at 0.05 alpha level. Results revealed a significant main effect of IOMT on gaslighting behaviour (F(1,54) = 12.772, p < .001, η²ᵨ = .538), with the IOMT group (Mean = 108.7) demonstrating significantly lower gaslighting behaviour compared to the control group (Mean = 126.0). Emotional maturity showed no significant main effect (F(1,54) = .096, p > .05, η²ᵨ = .002), while conflict transformational skills demonstrated a significant effect (F(1,54) = 5.477, p < .05, η²ᵨ = .111). No significant interaction effects were found among treatment, emotional maturity, and conflict transformational skills. The findings suggest that IOMT is an effective depth-oriented intervention for reducing gaslighting behaviour in marital relationships, with effectiveness independent of participants' baseline emotional or conflict management competencies. Implications for marital counselling practice, clinical training, and future research directions are discussed.