Empirical research on behavioral marital therapy (BMT) was reviewed and it was concluded that BMT, with its emphasis on working on a strictly behavioral level with married couples, was an effective form of therapy. Six component analysis studies were then examined which showed a general trend in the studies indicating that strictly behavioral interventions could be made more effective as cognitive and affective elements of marital interactions were addressed. Correlational research studies on some of these cognitive and affective elements were reviewed to demonstrate how they affect marital interaction. A review of six correlational studies examining cognitive elements revealed a high degree of irrational beliefs and causal attributions in distressed marriages. A review of six correlational studies examining affective elements illustrated the reciprocal and reactive nature of the affective elements in distressed marital interactions. While affective elements appeared to be more important in predicting marital satisfaction and in predicting the behavior of a spouse than were verbal/cognitive elements, an emphasis on both cognitive and affective elements could help to make BMT more effective. (NB)