Connection at your fingertips: A first look at the Agapé app’s contributions to healthy relationships
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Rogge, R. D., Macri, J. A., & Okwudili, K. (2024). Connection at your fingertips: A first look at the Agapé app’s contributions to healthy relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001166
Abstract Created by REACH:
This study examined the usability, acceptability, feasibility, and utility of Agapé, a free romantic relationship mobile app designed to create moments of connection for couples through daily prompts and “dyadic conversations” (i.e., both partners answer a prompt and read each other’s response in the app). Changes in diverse indicators of individual functioning (i.e., psychological distress, depressive symptoms, vitality, quality of life) and relationship functioning (i.e., relationship satisfaction, positive and negative relationship qualities, dedication, partner responsiveness) were assessed. 810 individuals (n = 405 civilian couples) completed online surveys at baseline. 350 individuals (43% of the baseline sample) completed a 1-month follow-up survey. Overall, users enjoyed the Agapé app and showed improvement in their individual and relationship functioning over time.
Focus:
Programming
Couples
Subject Affiliation:
Civilian
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Authors:
Rogge, Ronald D., Macri, Jenna A., Okwudili, Khadesha
Abstract:
Although a range of relationship enhancement interventions have shown benefits, programs involving trained facilitators are difficult to scale and self-directed programs tend to suffer from low rates of adherence (i.e., nonuse/disuse attrition). The present study evaluated Agapé, a relationship wellness smartphone app optimized for broad dissemination through 4 years of persuasive system design driven by user feedback. Agapé builds moments of connection by providing daily prompts to couples and then showing them one another’s answers when both partners have responded. To evaluate Agapé, a single-arm, pilot study followed 405 couples (n = 810 partners; 68% non-Latinx White; 50% female; Mage = 29; 50% cohabiting; 31% married; 33% dissatisfied/distressed) through their first month of using the app. Agapé had high engagement (99%, completing M = 27 daily prompts dyadically) and 88% of couples provided follow-up data. The results among completers supported the acceptability, feasibility, and utility of Agapé, suggesting that partners found the app easy (74%) and enjoyable (93%) to use, particularly if they perceived their partners to be responsive. Most partners saw improvement in their relationships (80%) and in their individual well-being (70%). Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed significant within-person improvement on relationship functioning (decreases in relationship negative qualities and increases in relationship satisfaction, relationship positive qualities, and dedication) and on individual functioning (increases in vitality and quality of life with decreases in psychological distress and depressive symptoms) among completers (Cohen’s ds ranging from |.14 to .42|). Dosage effects demonstrated that gains in relationship quality were stronger for couples completing more daily prompts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Keywords:
couples, healthy relationship, relationship intervention
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
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