Testing the Effectiveness of Behavioral Text Messages to Promote Attendance at HMRE Sessions

The University of Florida operates the SMART program, which will offer four relationship
education programs, each targeting a different population: (1) Relationship Smarts PLUS, for
high school youth; (2) Before You Tie the Knot, for couples interested in marriage; (3)
ELEVATE, for couples, and (4) Smart Steps, for couples in stepfamilies. All programming is
offered through the University of Florida's IFAS Extension service in Citrus, Duval,
Manatee, Palm Beach, and Santa Rosa counties.

The STREAMS evaluation will test text messaging strategies with couples enrolled in ELEVATE
and Smart Steps. It will examine whether text messages informed by behavioral insight theory
can improve couples' attendance at relationship skills education group sessions, and if so,
which kinds of messages are most effective. ACF staff have noted that among the most common
technical assistance requests from HMRE grantees are help with improving participation. Even
if relationship skills sessions are offered in a convenient location where adults receive
other services and even if programs offer transportation, child care and other assistance to
facilitate regular program attendance, achieving consistent participation in these voluntary
programs can be challenging. The University of Florida study will help address these
challenges by examining whether text messages based on behavioral theories can work as a
simple, practical strategy for improving program participation in group sessions. More
broadly, the site will also add to the large and growing effort across the federal
government to study the use of behavioral interventions or "nudges" to improve social
programs.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Couple

- Both partners consent to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria:

- Single Adults

- Either Partner or both do not consent to receive text messages