Types Of Infidelity Research Articles

Emotional Consequences of Infidelity: Guilt and Regret Experiences Among Perpetrators of Cheating in Heterosexual Dating Relationships

Perpetrators of infidelity have to deal with the consequences of their actions, guilt, and regret being a few out of the many. Differences in these outcomes could be based on the kind of infidelity (emotional or sexual) they were involved in and the process of infidelity (spontaneous or planned) they have gone through. To explore the difference, the present study collected data on 196 adults (male = 97, female = 99; Mage = 24.54 years) who had cheated on their romantic partners. Out of the total, 136 participants were involved in self-reported sexual infidelity, and 60 participants were involved in emotional infidelity; 147 participants reported spontaneous infidelity and only 49 participants reported that the process was planned. Results showed that the process of infidelity (spontaneous/planned) significantly affects post-infidelity guilt. However, no role of type of infidelity (emotional/sexual) was found. Furthermore, results showed a significant interaction effect between the type and the process of infidelity on guilt and regret. Sexual-spontaneous infidelity provoked the highest guilt and regret, whereas sexual-planned infidelity led to the slightest guilt and regret. The findings that the emotional consequences of infidelity depend on its nature will help in understanding the aftermaths of infidelity and could apply to helping the perpetrators.

INFIDELITY AMONGST YOUNG MARRIED COUPLES: SUGGESTIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION

Infidelity is a common phenomenon in modern society and a major factor in marital dissolution across the globe. A qualitative research approach was used in this study to develop an in-depth understanding of the experiences and impact of infidelity amongst young married couples. The participants were purposively selected from a population of young married couples who had experienced infidelity in their marriage and lived within the municipal borders of Lepelle-Nkumpi, in Limpopo province, using the snowball technique. Tesch’s eight steps were used to analyse the data. To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, the researchers assessed the qualitative data for credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability. The findings highlight that young married couples experiencing marital infidelity require direction from social workers to understand the process of recovery from any type of infidelity to bring about improvement and change in their marriage. Keywords: infidelity experiences, infidelity, social work, social work interventions, young married couples

High (in)fidelity: gender, the Dark Tetrad, and infidelity

Infidelity is a common problem in intimate relationships and is often a main contributor to relationship breakdowns. The aim of the current study was to extend the infidelity literature by differentiating between physical, emotional, and malevolent forms of infidelity, and exploring individual differences (i.e., gender and The Dark Tetrad of personality) that are associated with perpetration in these forms. The sample comprised 240 participants aged 18 to 67 years (Mage = 29.41 years, SD = 10.32; 76.8% women). People with higher psychopathy were more likely to engage in all forms of infidelity. High narcissism was predictive of emotional infidelity, and high sadism was predictive of malevolent infidelity. Interestingly, gender was only predictive of malevolent infidelity, with women more likely than men to perpetrate this form of infidelity. Exploratory analyses indicated that many of the associations between Dark Tetrad and infidelity were moderated by gender. Results of the current study may support researchers and therapists in differentiating between different types of infidelity (i.e., emotional, physical, malevolent). Further, these findings may contribute to the development of screening tools for therapists working who provide support for infidelity in intimate relationships.

Jealousy in Men and Women in Couples Infidelity through Online Media

Every human being in this world has a jealous attitude that has been felt by both men and women. In the younger generation which is a generation in the early stages of maturity jealousy often occurs especially for young couples who are in a dating relationship. Jealousy usually occurs due to a partner affair done through online media or the use of the internet as a medium to communicate with third people. This study aims to find out the extent to which differences in jealousy in men and women that are consistently found in real life can also be found in modern life which involves the use of internet technology. The method used in this research is a quantitative research method. This research was conducted in Indonesia by involving young people in it. In taking the research sample, several characteristics of the participants had to be met, including participants aged 20 to 40 years, single, had at least a high school education, and used the internet for at least 7 hours per week. The results showed that there was a significant difference in female participants in jealousy facing emotional and sexual types of infidelity via the internet and vice versa. In addition, the majority of people in Indonesia, especially young people or students in Indonesia, use social media, and jealousy between partners is often expressed on social media, and young people in Indonesia are easily influenced by the times

Sexual and emotional jealousy in relation to the facial sexual dimorphism of a potential rival

Background and purpose: Previous studies have shown that men are more sensitive to sexual infidelity, while women are more sensitive to emotional infidelity. Studies have also shown that jealousy is evoked by the rival’s desirable characteristics. Therefore, it was assumed that women would be more jealous of a woman with a feminine face, while men would report greater levels of jealousy when presented with a rival with a masculine face. It was also predicted that these expected differences would depend on the infidelity type – sexual and emotional. Based on this, the aim of this study was to investigate differences in jealousy in relation to participants’ sex, the type of infidelity and the rival’s facial sexual dimorphism. Materials and methods: The study included 401 (164 men and 237 women) participants, aged between 18 and 35. Jealousy was assessed by using hypothetical scenarios of a partner’s emotional and sexual infidelity that involved rivals with a masculine and feminine face. Participants reported the intensity of jealousy on a 7-point scale. Results and conclusions: As predicted, men reported higher levels of jealousy over sexual, whereas women were more upset over emotional infidelity. Moreover, while there was no difference in jealousy among men in relation to the rival’s facial sexual dimorphism, women reported a higher intensity of jealousy toward a rival with a feminine face, regardless of the infidelity type. These results are interpreted by different adaptive mechanisms in men and women.

Values consolidating and disintegrating lyrical relationships as evaluated by women and men

Abstract In this article, we will discuss and identify infidelity. We will take a closer look at some theories and research. This article will also describe concepts of sexuality, monogamy, and partner relationships. In the first paragraph, we will take a closer look at infidelity in general and we will mention the most common reasons for infidelity. The next paragraph deals with differences between men and women in response to infidelity. Based on this, we will define two types of infidelity- sexual and emotional infidelity. In the last paragraph, we will describe the most commonly known predictors of infidelity. Knowing and understanding the reasons, factors, differences and predictors of infidelity can help people in critical situations and this article can be a useful source of information for partners in their future relationships.

Women's Reaction to Opposite- and Same-Sex Infidelity in Three Cultures : Data from Canada, Samoa, and the Istmo Zapotec.

Previous research indicates that Euro-American women are more upset by imagining their male partners committing homosexual infidelities than heterosexual ones. The present studies sought to replicate these findings and extend them to two non-Western cultures wherein masculine men frequently engage in sexual interactions with feminine third-gender males. Across six studies in three cultural locales (Canada, Samoa, and the Istmo Zapotec), women were asked to rate their degree of upset when imagining that their partner committed infidelity that was heterosexual in nature, as well as infidelity that was homosexual. In two Canadian undergraduate samples, women reported greater upset at imagining partner infidelity with a female, whereas a community sample of middle-aged women reported equal upset across infidelity types. Samoan women reported substantially less upset at the thought of partner infidelity with a third-gender male (fa'afafine) than with a female. Istmo Zapotec women reported equal upset toward infidelity with a female or a third-gender male (muxe), whereas a second Zapotec sample reported slightly greater upset at the thought of infidelity with a muxe. Results illustrate how cultural contexts moderate the degree to which same-sex infidelity scenarios are upsetting to women.

Infidelity a Challenge Facing Therapists

It seems vital to address the problem of extramarital relationships or marital infidelity, which is a traumatic issue for families and spouses and a common issue in counseling and treatment for mental health therapists. This social problem is also very common, however, due to its crucial and personal aspect, accurate information about its prevalence is not available in Iran. Infidelity refers to any concealment of a spouse about an extramarital affair. In fact, secrecy is an important part of an illegitimate and romantic relationship. Types of infidelity include sexual, emotional, and virtual (Internet) infidelity. Men react more strongly to sexual infidelity and women to emotional infidelity. An important point to note is that dissatisfaction with marriage can lead to infidelity, but a successful marriage is no guarantee that it will not happen. Despite its prevalence, not much research has been done in this area. In a US study, integrative intervention therapy was used for couples with such problem and it was found that this integrated treatment model had a good effect on the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some tudies have been conducted in Iran despite the sensitivity of the issue. In a systematic review conducted in Mashhad to investigate the causes of infidelity in married women, four causes of individual-personality, cultural-social, family-educational, and religious-belief were more effective than other causes. In another study, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was performed in Tehran to reduce anxiety and depression among women with extramarital affairs and it was observed that this treatment clearly reduces the mentioned symptoms.

Breakup Likelihood Following Hypothetical Sexual or Emotional Infidelity: Perceived Threat, Blame, and Forgiveness

Abstract Infidelity represents a major threat to relationships, often resulting in dissolution of couples. The process from infidelity to potential breakup was studied in 92 couples using questionnaires concerning hypothetical scenarios of sexual and emotional infidelity. Structural equation model analyses using couple data for both infidelity types suggest that the level of perceived threat to the relationship was the main predictor of likelihood of breakup for men and women. Following each type of imagined infidelity, this effect was partly mediated by forgiveness. For emotional infidelity, level of blame was associated with forgiveness and breakup. The effect of blame on breakup was fully mediated by keeping less distance. The mechanisms involved in these processes were highly similar for women and men.

Gender differences in response to infidelity types and rival attractiveness

Some evolutionary psychologists hypothesize that women are more upset by their partners’ emotional infidelity than men, and men are more upset by sexual infidelity than women. In addition, other evolutionary psychologists hypothesize that women are more distressed than men when their partners are unfaithful with a very attractive rival (lover). However, according to the imagination hypothesis, these sexual differences can be explained by gender differences in the “imagination of infidelity.” Based on this context, we hypothesized that gender differences would not be observed when controlling for the effects of infidelity imagination. Participants consisted of 288 college students who were in serious committed relationships. Photographs of attractive and unattractive rival were presented, and participants rated how upset they would be by their partner’s infidelity with the rival. A 2 (gender) × 2 (infidelity type) × 2 (rival attractiveness) factorial design was employed. Analysis of variance for the group who had lower levels of infidelity imagination revealed a significant interaction between gender and infidelity type. However, analyses of covariance with vividness of the partner’s infidelity as a covariate revealed that there were no differences between the genders. Therefore, the imagination hypothesis was supported while the evolutionary explanation for gender differences was not.

Relationship dissolution following marital infidelity: comparing European Americans and Asian Americans

The present study examined how attitudes toward divorce as well as the Investment Model relate to the decision to divorce following a spouse's infidelity among European Americans and Asian/Asian Americans. Participants were 325 participants (155 male, 170 female) who completed a survey. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to test the hypotheses. Overall, the model showed that gender, personal income, infidelity type, quality of alternative, commitment, and divorce attitudes are associated with the stay/leave decision. Ethnicity moderated these relationships as the investment model variables are associated with European American participants' decision-making whereas for Asian Americans, only attitude toward divorce was a strong predictor. These findings suggest European Americans and Asian Americans weigh different factors when making the decision to divorce or remain together. Understanding the variables associated with stay/leave decisions, particularly with a cross-cultural lens, provides insight into why some individuals remain together following an infidelity.

Expecting and Competing? Jealous Responses Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women.

In the current study, we reasoned that when pregnant, women should be especially motivated to protect their reproductive investments as well as their pair bond and be vigilant about intrasexual competitors. To investigate this, pregnant women ( n = 66) and nonpregnant women ( n = 59; age M = 27.41, SD = 3.36) in committed relationships read a jealousy-evoking scenario that was accompanied by a picture of either an attractive or an unattractive woman, after which they indicated their jealousy about such a situation. Moreover, we asked whether a mate's emotional infidelity would evoke more jealousy than his sexual infidelity. The results showed that for pregnant women, both rivals evoked similar amounts of jealousy, whereas nonpregnant women's jealousy was mainly evoked by the attractive rival. Moreover, pregnant women indicated they would be most upset by their partner's emotional infidelity, and especially if they were previously exposed to the attractive rival. Nonpregnant women considered both types of infidelity equally upsetting. These results emphasize the adaptive function of jealousy and extend the literature on the influence of a rival's attractiveness on women's jealousy by focusing on the experiences of pregnant women.

Modeling the interplay between narcissism, relational motives, and jealousy-induced responses to infidelity threat

Threat-based accounts of narcissism postulate enhanced worrying and negative emotion following threat. The present study examined whether the psychological process by which people experience and respond to jealousy-inducing threats varies according to their narcissism subtype. Participants completed measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, simulated sexual and emotional infidelity scenarios, and reported their anticipated (a) motives (power/control, relational security, self-esteem compensation, uncertainty minimization) and (b) jealousy responses (worrying, negative emotions, and behavioral tactics). Path modeling conditionally supported threat-based accounts for the vulnerable subtype but not for the grandiose subtype. Grandiose narcissism (marginally) inversely related to a composite of worrying and negative emotion but (directly) positively related to power/control motives and, in turn, attacking/restricting tactics. Effects of vulnerable narcissism on jealousy outcomes depended on infidelity type. Vis-à-vis emotional infidelity, vulnerable narcissism positively related to worrying and negative emotion and, in turn, related to heightened pursuit of all motives, some of which uniquely predicted heightened attacking/restricting tactics, suppressed attacking/restricting tactics, and heightened enhancing tactics. Vis-à-vis sexual infidelity, effects of vulnerable narcissism mimicked those of grandiose narcissism. In jealousy contexts, extant threat-based accounts of narcissism appear inadequate for explaining the grandiose subtype and evidently bounded for explaining the vulnerable subtype.

Jealousy, Gender, and Culture of Honor: A Study in Portugal and Brazil

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine whether gender and culture of honor were associated with the type of infidelity (sexual or emotional) that affected our subjects more. Samples of 192 Portuguese university students (119 women and 73 men) and 415 Brazilian university students (214 men and 201 women) participated in this research. Participants responded to six dilemmas reflecting a type of infidelity (sexual or emotional), a gender scale, and a culture of honor scale. The results of both samples are compatible with the cultural theses about jealousy. Both men and women were more affected by emotional infidelity. In addition, it was found that the relationship between the sex of the participants and the type of infidelity that induced stress in them was affected by sociocultural variables, such as culture of honor, masculinity, and femininity. Some differences in the response patterns in the case of an infidelity, in both samples (Portuguese and Brazilian), are shown and discussed.

Estudo preliminar de adaptação e validação da Escala de Tolerância à Infidelidade

Objetivo: Em Portugal, não encontrámos estudos e instrumentos que avaliassem, para a população portuguesa, a tolerância à infidelidade. Este estudo preliminar pretendeu, assim, avaliar e adaptar para a população portuguesa a Escala de Tolerância à Infidelidade e explorar associações entre a tolerância à infidelidade, variáveis sociodemográficas, relacionais e relativas à infidelidade, autocriticismo e autocompaixão. Métodos: 223 participantes (sexo feminino, n = 155; 69,5%), entre os 18 e os 67 anos, preencheram um questionário sociodemográfico e com questões relacionais e relativas à infidelidade, a Escala de Tolerância à Infidelidade, a Escala de Autocompaixão e a Escala das Formas do Autocriticismo e de Autotranquilização. Resultados: A versão adaptada para a população portuguesa da Escala de Tolerância à Infidelidade mostrou apresentar duas dimensões: tolerância à infidelidade sexual e tolerância à infidelidade emocional. Ambas revelaram boa consistência interna (respetivamente, α = 0,896; α = 0,878). A tolerância à infidelidade sexual revelou boa estabilidade temporal e a tolerância à infidelidade emocional muito boa estabilidade temporal. Não se verificaram diferenças nas duas dimensões por sexo, embora tenham sido encontradas diferenças em algumas dimensões das escalas que avaliam autocompaixão e autocriticismo. Os participantes casados ou em união de facto apresentaram maior tolerância à infidelidade sexual, por oposição com os solteiros, viúvos, separados e divorciados. Quem relatou não ter tido dificuldade em perdoar uma situação de infidelidade apresentou maior tolerância à infidelidade sexual e emocional, do que quem expressou dificuldade em perdoar. Conclusões: A Escala de Tolerância à Infidelidade mostrou possuir boas características psicométricas, podendo ser considerada como válida para ser usada na população portuguesa. Verificou-se, igualmente, que estar casado ou coabitar com alguém parece associar-se a maior tolerância à infidelidade sexual e que quem tem maior dificuldade em perdoar uma situação de infidelidade, de forma congruente, apresenta menor tolerância à infidelidade.

Extradyadic Involvement in Dating Relationships: Prevalence and Factor Structure of The Extradyadic Behavior Inventory

Objective: High rates of extradyadic involvement during dating have been reported. An increasing attention has been given to extradyadic online interactions. Recently, a measure including a comprehensive list of face-to-face and online extradyadic behaviors (EDB) was developed, the Extradyadic Behavior Inventory (EDBI; Luo, Carter, & Snyder, 2010). The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence rates of face-to-face and online EDB during exclusive dating relationships, and to examine the factor structure of the EDBI. Design and Method: The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 947 participants (275 men and 672 women), with a mean age of 23.40 years (SD = 3.99). Participants were in the current relationship for an average of 34 months. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire on sociodemographic and relational information and the Portuguese version of the Extradyadic Behavior Inventory. Results: Most participants (66.2% of men and 60.4% of women) reported engagement in face-to-face EDB, and 50.2% of men and 42.1% of women reported engagement in online EDB. Men reported significantly higher engagement in online interactions than women. The exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor structure for both face-to-face (physical/sexual and emotional) and online (sexual and emotional) EDB. Men reported significantly higher scores than women in all forms of extradyadic involvement. Conclusions: The two-factor models identified for face-to-face and online extradyadic involvement are consistent with the perspective that differentiates two types of infidelity – sexual and emotional. By covering a comprehensive list of clearly defined EDB, the EDBI overcomes important limitations of research on infidelity.

Defining and Distinguishing Sexual and Emotional Infidelity

Researchers studying interpersonal relationships often distinguish between “sexual infidelity” and “emotional infidelity.” Yet, it remains largely unclear whether and how individuals actually conceptualize these constructs in their own lives, and how men and women vary, if at all, in their definitions and understanding of different types of infidelity. The current research used a mixed-methodology approach to explore the epistemological nature of sexual infidelity and emotional infidelity. In Study 1, 379 participants provided open-ended definitions of what they believe constitutes sexual infidelity and emotional infidelity. In Study 2, responses were then coded by a different group of outside raters to examine overall themes in the definitions provided and how prototypical these definitions were for each type of infidelity. Results identified and examined the definitions with the highest mean ratings in terms of how well they represented emotional infidelity or sexual infidelity. Overall, both men and women had more consistency in their definitions of what constituted sexual infidelity than on what constituted emotional infidelity, suggesting that emotional infidelity is a more vague and complex concept than sexual infidelity. Additionally, when asked to define sexual and emotional infidelity, many participants focused on specific behaviors (including deception), but when asked to consider the types of infidelity as distinct from each other, participants focused on feelings. By exploring how individuals actually define these constructs, these data provide a more accurate and rich depiction of how individuals define acts of infidelity than currently exists in the relationship literature.

In search of moderators of sex differences in forced-choice jealousy responses: Effects of 2D:4D digit ratio and relationship infidelity experiences

In this study, we examined how jealousy responses in men and women were affected by 2D:4D digit ratio, a correlate of prenatal testosterone exposure, and actual infidelity experiences using the forced-choice paradigm. Extending the previous literature on responses to infidelity, we examined whether specific types of infidelity and whether active manipulation of memories of actual infidelity experiences affected jealousy responses. We were able to replicate the predicted sex differences in jealousy responses in a sample of heterosexual Norwegian students with committed relationship experiences (N = 480). Further, we found that 2D:4D ratio was negatively associated with sexual jealousy, but as predicted, this effect was fully accounted for by sex of respondent. Men reported more sexual jealousy than women regardless of experiencing actual infidelity and regardless of infidelity type. Actual infidelity experiences produced more pronounced sex-typical differences when memories of these were activated through question order manipulation. Suggestions for future studies on jealousy responses to infidelity experiences are made.

Gender Differences, Infidelity, Dyadic Trust, and Jealousy among Married Turkish Individuals

In the present study, relationships among gender, emotional response to partner’s imagined infidelity (emotional and sexual infidelity), and dyadic trust (low and high levels of trust) were investigated as functions of married Turkish individuals’ jealousy types (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral). Five hundred thirty seven (276 women and 261 men) married individuals living in urban areas in Turkey participated in the study. Results of the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed significant main effects for gender, infidelity types, and dyadic trust. Particularly, married Turkish men in this study were found to be more emotionally jealous than women. Participants who responded to sexual infidelity as more upsetting had higher levels of emotional jealousy when compared to the participants who found emotional infidelity more upsetting. Moreover, participants with low dyadic trust for their partners were found to be high in their cognitive jealousy and behavioral jealousy reactions. Results are discussed in details with implications for future research and suggestions for mental health practitioners.

Height and jealousy over partner’s ex and a new rival among coupled men and women

Recent studies suggest that body height has an effect on the intensity of jealousy among men and women. Since short men and both short and tall women are regarded as less attractive, they could be at greater risk of being cheated by their partners and therefore more jealous. Numerous studies have documented sex differences in jealousy about a partner’s sexual and emotional infidelity with a person of the opposite sex. However, the partner’s ex as a rival has been neglected in the literature. Therefore, in this study the relationships between height and jealousy about two types of infidelity among 112 heterosexual men and 314 women were investigated. Infidelity scenarios included two types of rival: new rival and partner’s ex. As expected on the basis of prior studies, men were more jealous of sexual infidelity and women of emotional infidelity. Both sexes reported greater jealousy over a new rival than over partner’s ex. Among men, there were no relationships between height and jealousy, while among women...