Infidelity Behaviors Research Articles

COVID-19, Family and Love Relationships: Perception of Stress, Relational Quality, Family Functioning and Online Infidelity Behaviors

The world has been facing a pandemic crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 disease. In Portugal, there were several waves of the pandemic, characterized by peaks of infections and deaths, as well as several measures that had an impact on the way people feel and relate. The main objective of the present investigation was to analyze stress during the pandemic, and its relationship with family functioning, perceived relational quality and online infidelity behaviors. 234 subjects participated, aged between 18 and 61 years. The study results indicate moderate to severe levels of stress, and these were significantly related to online infidelity behaviors. A total of 9.4% of the sample engaged in online infidelity behaviors during the pandemic period (between March 2020 and May 2021) and 13.4% of these behaviors were predicted by the variables under study. It was concluded that stress and relational quality are risk factors for online infidelity behaviors. Stress is also related to the dysfunctional dimensions of family functioning. In the aftermath of the pandemic, various aspects of the relationship may have been affected by the levels of stress felt, and culminated in online infidelity behaviors and family dysfunction. The results suggest the importance of relationships as a protective factor against pandemic changes, but also the need to work on relational aspects in times of crisis.

The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Schemas and Self-Differentiation in Individuals Committing Infidelity in Marriage

Objective: One of the effective methods in couples experiencing infidelity is schema therapy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy on schemas and self-differentiation in individuals committing infidelity. Methods and Materials: The present study was quasi-experimental. The population of the study consisted of infidelity clients who referred to the Sahel Counseling Center in Tehran during the winter of 2021 and spring of 2022. Forty participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned into two groups (each group consisting of 20 individuals), including experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent schema therapy intervention, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Measurement tools included Young's Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire and the Skowron and Friedlander Self-Differentiation Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used for data analysis using SPSS software. Findings: The results showed that schema therapy is significantly effective in modifying most of the early maladaptive schemas and also in enhancing all components of self-differentiation in individuals committing infidelity in marriage. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study indicate that schema therapy is beneficial in changing maladaptive schemas and self-differentiation, and thus can be effective in treating infidelity behavior and reducing the rate of infidelity recurrence.

Between the Lines of Betrayal: An Examination of a Large-Scale Survey on Sex Differences in Infidelity Behaviors, Motivations, and Outcomes

Between the Lines of Betrayal: An Examination of a Large-Scale Survey on Sex Differences in Infidelity Behaviors, Motivations, and Outcomes

A Psychological Perspective on Infidelity in the Context of a Literary Work: Anna Karenina-Lev Tolstoy

Literature and psychology, which have different characteristics from each other, often try to study common issues. Both fields benefit from each other in terms of subject analysis. Just like in this regard, studies on the subject of deception, which are studied in both areas, are not considered sufficient in the literature. Studies in the field on the subject of infidelity are not considered sufficient and more factors that may be effective in infidelity are discoursed. The main purpose of this study is to examine the infidelity behaviors in the novel Anna Karenina written by Lev Tolstoy within the framework of psychoanalytic, attachment, schema theories, and risk factors. As a result, it was seen that risk factors such as attachment, psychoanalytic perspective, schema concepts, and gender corresponded to the examples of infidelity in the book. A similar result could not be reached with the duration of the marriage and the number of children, which are among the risk factors.

Social Networking and Romantic Relationships: When Mental Illness Enters the Mix

Social networking sites (SNS) are increasingly becoming integrated in our daily lives. (N=184, female=138) We surveyed 184 spouses (female =138) to explore whether there is an association between partner’s perception of the quality of available alternatives and SNS infidelity related behaviors. We also explored if mental illness moderated this association. Those with mental and/or emotional illness reported higher levels of SNS infidelity than those without, however, we did not find between-group differences in perceived quality of alternatives or relationship satisfaction. Perceived quality of available alternatives predicted social media infidelity behaviors and this association was moderated by mental illness status. Therefore, users about their both partners have Implications for family therapy practice are discussed.

Justify my love: Cognitive dissonance reduction among perpetrators of online and offline infidelity

A longitudinal survey study was conducted to examine which strategies for reducing cognitive dissonance were used among men engaging in infidelity. Data were collected in two waves, 1 month apart ( ntime1 = 1514, ntime2 = 425), from a sample of male users of Ashley Madison, a “married dating” site targeting users who are seeking to engage in infidelity. Because perpetrators of infidelity may justify their behaviors differently depending on whether they cheated in an online environment, both online and offline infidelity behaviors were considered. Results indicated that attitude change and self-concept change were positively related to online infidelity, while only self-concept change was positively related to offline infidelity, suggesting their differential effectiveness for various communication media. Self-concept change, attitude change, and denial of responsibility were negatively related to psychological discomfort and perceived negative impact at time 2, indicating their relative success for reducing negative psychological outcomes compared to other strategies such as adding consonant cognitions.

Reconstruction of the Concept of Nushuz of the Wife in the Digital Era

The increasing number of divorces has been largely affected by technological developments, including social media, which are used in a way that may lead wives to commit nushuz behavior. This present study aimed at reconstructing the nushuz of the wife in the digital era, a concept commonly known as the wife leaving her house without the permission of the husband. As a normative study, the study applied the conceptual approach. The study collected data by using the documentation study or library research, and analyzed the data by reading, examining, linking, and interpreting the data, and then elaborated the data descriptively. The findings revealed that social media has been used as a platform to publicly show the women’s beauty, reveal their aurat (intimate parts), spread gossips, share infidelity behavior, and many others which violate the religious norms and the universal, collective, individual, local and traditional values as well. Ideally, all of these should be kept private at home, as the home itself is the place to protect anything within it. The elimination of politeness boundaries and rules of interaction between men and women as a consequence of activities on social media has made nushuz of the wife irrelevant to be interpreted simply as the wife leaving the house without the permission of the husband. The meaning of house in the physical sense and that of social media should be equal in the context of the household. Nushuz should be interpreted in a broader perspective following the increasing development of modern technologies.

Your cheating heart is just afraid of ending up alone: Fear of being single mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and infidelity

Despite their detrimental effects, acts of infidelity are common. Several individual differences, including attachment orientations, have been linked to infidelity behaviors. Yet, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between attachment anxiety and infidelity are not well understood. This deserves attention, as the positive association between chronic worry about being abandoned and engaging in infidelity, which inherently increases the risk of being left by the partner, poses a paradox. Studying an online community sample (N = 233, 52.8% female, Mage = 36.73, Rangeage = 20–70) using self-report measures, we aim to offer an explanation to this conundrum by hypothesizing that the relationship between attachment anxiety and infidelity behaviors is mediated by fear of being single (i.e., the concern about being left without a partner). We found that those who have greater attachment anxiety showed increased fear of being single, which in turn predicted greater infidelity behaviors. The associations held after controlling for sex, age, and relationship length. Results suggest that people high on attachment anxiety are more likely to be involved in extradyadic relationships due to their high fear of being single, possibly as a bet-hedging strategy to minimize future risk of being single. Findings are discussed vis-à-vis implications for couples counseling.

Modelo predictivo de conducta de infidelidad sexual entre personas casadas

La infidelidad marital es relativamente frecuente, a pesar de sus graves consecuencias. Este estudio tiene como objetivo contrastar un modelo predictivo de infidelidad sexual desde una perspectiva psicosocial. Se colectó una muestra de 790 personas casadas (53.4% mujeres y 47.6% hombres) por rutas al azar en Monterrey, México. Se aplicó la Escala de Valoración de la Relación, Índice de Satisfacción Sexual, Escala de Actitud hacia la Exclusividad Marital, Escalas de conducta infiel, Escala de Búsqueda de Sensaciones Sexuales y Escala de Engrandecimiento Marital. El contraste se hizo por análisis de sendero a través del método de mínimos cuadrados ponderados. Seis de cada 100 participantes están insatisfechos con su matrimonio, 13 de cada 100 están insatisfechos con las relaciones sexuales con su pareja y dos de cada diez ven más defectos que virtudes en sus parejas; asimismo, 83 de cada 100 reportan no incurrir en conductas de infidelidad sexual, 60 de cada 100 muestran total rechazo hacia la propia infidelidad sexual, 72 de cada 100 reportan muy bajo nivel de deseo de infidelidad sexual y 50 de cada 100 muy bajo nivel de búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales. El modelo con dos variables exógenas correlacionadas y cinco endógenas mostró una potencia explicativa muy alta y su ajuste a los datos fue bueno. Se concluye que la variable más crítica en el modelo es el deseo de infidelidad sexual, cuyo determinante más importante es la búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales. Esta variable de rasgo se especificó como una variable exógena, por lo que no es explicada. No obstante, puede ser modulada y modificada, ya que es un rasgo de personalidad. Precisamente, la idealización o el menosprecio hacia la pareja la modulan en el modelo. A su vez, el modelo remarca aspectos de insatisfacción marital y sexual.

Who cheats? An examination of light and dark personality traits as predictors of infidelity

Acts of infidelity are violations of the exclusivity norm of close relationships, and some individuals engage in infidelity more than others. Previous studies show that individuals high in the Dark Triad, the malevolent side of personality, are more likely to engage in infidelity, however not much is known regarding the relationship of infidelity and benevolent personality traits, the Light Triad. This study (N = 309) aimed to examine the relations between dark and light side of personality traits and infidelity. Two separate regression analyses were conducted using the Dark Triad and the Light Triad as predictors of infidelity attitudes and infidelity behaviors. The results showed that psychopathy and Kantianism were significant predictors of infidelity attitudes, while only psychopathy emerged as the significant predictor of infidelity behaviors. The findings where the Dark and the Light Triad were simultaneously modeled shows that dark and light personality traits are separate constructs uniquely predicting infidelity attituded and for infidelity behaviors the malevolent may have more predictive power than the benevolent.

The Role of Online Infidelity Behaviors in the Link between Mental Illness and Social Media Intrusion

Online social interactions can potentially benefit users. Excessive use and certain behaviors, however, may cause interpersonal problems and promote toxic behaviors such as stalking. The present study explored the link between mental health status and social media intrusion (addiction) in a sample of 243 married/cohabiting romantic partners (female 177, male 66). The sample was divided into two groups based on the diagnosis or nondiagnosis of mental/emotional illness. We also tested a mediation model to examine whether social networking sites (SNS) related infidelity behaviors mediate the link between mental health and social media intrusion. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between mental illness and SNS intrusion, and SNS related infidelity behaviors partially mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that partners should be cautious when making friends online and should take proactive steps to avoid the possibility of engaging in infidelity behaviors. Therapeutic implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Falling Prey to Online Romantic Alternatives: Evaluating Social Media Alternative Partners in Committed Versus Dating Relationships

Social media represents an integral platform that is currently used to maintain and develop new social connections including alternative romantic partners. Over engagement with online friends and pursuing alternative partners can potentially threaten the primary romantic relationship. In the present study, the author examined if the partners’ relationship status is a predictor of relationship satisfaction, quality of online romantic alternatives, online infidelity-related behaviors, social media addiction, and the total number of social networking sites (SNSs) accounts. In a cross-sectional study, romantic partners ( N = 578, 378 females and 200 males) completed a battery of self-report scales. The partners were divided into two groups based on their relationship status: Those who reported to be in a committed relationship ( n = 330) and those who reported to be in a casual dating relationship ( n = 248). Results revealed that there is a significant between-group difference in the way both groups evaluated the quality of potential alternative partners and level of SNSs addiction. However, there was no between-group difference in relationship satisfaction, SNSs infidelity behaviors, or the total number of SNSs accounts. The dating group reported significantly more sexual alternatives than the committed group. However, the number of potential committed alternatives was not significantly different between the two groups. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Understanding Infidelity: How Perceptions of Infidelity Behaviors Vary by Sex and One's Own Infidelity Experiences

ABSTRACTThis study examines (1) how previous history with infidelity influences perceptions of cheating behaviors, and (2) sex's impact on ratings of cheating behaviors. A total of 83 undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses volunteered to participate through an anonymous online survey. Participants rated sexual and emotional behaviors on a scale that ranged from “always” to “never,” indicating if the behavior was perceived as cheating. Individuals that had previous experience with infidelity either as the involved or non-involved partner rated sexual behaviors higher than those with no experience with infidelity, while non-involved partners rated emotional behaviors higher than the rest. Overall, females rated sexual and emotional behaviors higher than males. Non-involved males rated sexual behaviors higher than non-involved female partners. However, males who have not committed an infidelity rated sexual behaviors lower than any other group. The results provide further evidence that perceptions of cheating behaviors are influenced by gender and one's own history of infidelity, including both involved and non-involved roles.

Exploring intergenerational patterns of infidelity

AbstractThree studies explored how parental infidelity is related to offspring's infidelity behavior and used social learning theory to test potential mechanisms. In Study 1, parental infidelity was positively associated with offspring infidelity; trust and relationship self‐efficacy did not mediate the association. In Study 2, infidelity was associated with parental infidelity and more positive infidelity beliefs. In Study 3, parental infidelity was positively associated with offspring infidelity. Study 3 revealed that parental infidelity is associated with offspring reports of receiving negative messages about fidelity and positive messages about infidelity from their family of origin. These communications are linked to more positive and accepting infidelity beliefs. The results of these studies support the conclusion that parent infidelity is associated with an individual's own infidelity.

Fooling Around on Facebook: The Perceptions of Infidelity Behavior on Social Networking Sites

This mixed-methods study used content analysis and logistic regression to explore how people interpret Facebook infidelity behaviors, its impact on offline relationships, and how Facebook infidelity compares to online and offline infidelity. Six hundred twenty-eight respondents participated in a story completion task where they finished a narrative concerning questionable behavior on Facebook. Results found 51% of the participants interpreted the Facebook behavior as infidelity, with only 2.9% indicating the behavior was not infidelity. Other findings show that Facebook behavior negatively impacts offline relationships and accessing a partner's Facebook account is a privacy violation. Clinical implications are discussed.

Family Background and Propensity to Engage in Infidelity

The current study explored how a variety of family-of-origin experiences are related to individuals’ infidelity history. A survey was completed by 294 participants and we found that parental infidelity, parental marital status, parental conflict, and parental marital satisfaction were associated with the likelihood of offspring having ever engaged in infidelity. When considered together, parent infidelity and parent satisfaction were uniquely related to offspring infidelity. Additionally, parental marital status moderated the relationship between parent infidelity and offspring infidelity, as individuals who experienced neither event were particularly unlikely to have ever engaged in infidelity. Little evidence was found that individuals’ infidelity beliefs were linked with their family-of-origin experiences or their own infidelity behavior. Results indicate that family-of-origin experiences are related to individuals’ infidelity behavior, a finding that has implications for future research as well as clinical intervention.

Facebook Infidelity: When Poking Becomes Problematic

Recent research has focused on the Internet and relationships; however, little attention has been given to the specific role of social networking sites in relationship betrayal. Exploring the processes related to discovery of Facebook infidelity behaviors adds another layer to understanding Internet infidelity and highlights the behaviors unique to Facebook infidelity. Stories about cheating (N = 90), taken from the website FacebookCheating.com were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to create a process model of discovery. Researchers sought to answer four questions: (1) What is the experience of nonparticipating partners when their partners have engaged in infidelity behaviors on Facebook? (2) What are the basic social processes that occur when discovering the infidelity behaviors? And, (3) What are the basic psychological processes that occur? (4) What similarities or differences exist between the current research on offline and online infidelity and the process model from the current study? The categories are arranged in a process model, which depicts these processes as well as the emotional experience of the nonparticipating partner. The model highlights important phases through which the nonparticipating partner cycled following the discovery of the infidelity. These include appraising the boundary damage, acting on the appraisal, and making a decision about the relationship. Suggestions for clinical intervention based on this process are provided. Future research implications are also discussed.

Practicing What You Preach: Infidelity Attitudes as a Predictor of Fidelity

The current studies used the Perceptions of Dating Infidelity Scale (PDIS), which identifies attitudes toward three types of behaviors indicative of cheating: Ambiguous, Deceptive, and Explicit behaviors, to predict actual infidelity behaviors. Participants reported their attitude toward these behaviors and then reported their willingness to engage in these behaviors with a hypothetical target (Study 1) and reported actually engaging in these behaviors over the course of one month (Study 2). Study 1 showed that attitudes for Ambiguous and Deceptive behaviors significantly predict a willingness to engage in these behaviors with a hypothetical target. Study 2 showed that attitudes toward Ambiguous behaviors significantly predict actual engagement in Ambiguous behaviors during the course of one month.

O efeito da infidelidade sobre a atratividade facial de homens e mulheres

Os estudos da atratividade e da seleção de parceiros têm recebido atenção especial dentro da perspectiva da Psicologia Evolucionista, mostrando influências tanto de fatores físicos quanto de fatores não-físicos. Neste estudo, utilizou-se de fotografias da face de homens e mulheres, pré-julgados como medianamente atraentes, desconhecidos dos participantes, associadas a uma história neutra ou que envolvia comportamento de infidelidade, para avaliar a influência de informação sobre o comportamento de infidelidade na avaliação da atratividade de indivíduos do sexo oposto. Os resultados mostraram diferenças significativas apenas quando as mulheres avaliavam fotografias de homens, atribuindo menor atratividade a homens associados à história de infidelidade. As diferenças entre homens e mulheres podem refletir mecanismos adaptativos para a avaliação da atratividade do sexo oposto relacionados às diferenças nos custos reprodutivos. Esses resultados são discutidos sob a perspectiva da Psicologia Evolucionista.

So, What Did You Do Last Night? The Economics of Infidelity

SUMMARYThis paper develops an economic analysis of infidelity concentrating on the question of how cheating behavior differs between men and women. We develop an expected utility model that borrows from evolutionary biology to form expectations regarding behavior towards infidelity. We use U.S. data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and a Probit model to assess some characteristics of the respondent and his or her spouse that determine the probability of having an extramarital affair. While biology may form basic preferences, some of our results are consistent with the view that people are able to act on more than their base biological instincts alone. Hence, economic theory has a role to play in the understanding of behavior relating to infidelity. More specifically, this study identifies age, social class, individual's own education and the spouse's educational attainment as underlying factors affecting infidelity behavior depending on gender. In general, we find that men and women respond differently to the costs and benefits of having an affair.