Dominant Ego States in Relation to Attachment Styles and Infidelity Tendencies

Abstract

Infidelity tendency poses a risk to marriage quality. In addition, previous studies well-documented the crucial roles of attachment styles in close relationships. Therefore, it would be helpful to understand the dynamics behind infidelity tendencies and attachment styles in married individuals. This study aimed to examine whether married individuals’ infidelity tendencies and attachment styles differ in terms of the dominant ego state and demographic variables. The sample consisted of 301 volunteer individuals who had been married for at least one year. Independent-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that men had higher levels of infidelity tendency, and participants with children had higher avoidant attachment scores. In addition, the results showed the differences in infidelity tendency and attachment styles according to dominant ego-states. The findings were discussed along with the previous studies, and implications were provided for professionals and future studies.