Psychological Distress: Precursor or Consequence of Dating Infidelity?

@article{Hall2009PsychologicalDP,
  title={Psychological Distress: Precursor or Consequence of Dating Infidelity?},
  author={Julie H. Hall and Frank D. Fincham},
  journal={Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin},
  year={2009},
  volume={35},
  pages={143 - 159}
}
Research on infidelity-related distress has focused on victims with little attention to perpetrators. Two studies therefore explore the psychological functioning of individuals who have engaged in dating infidelity. Study 1 showed that, compared to faithful partners, individuals who had engaged in infidelity showed more psychological distress. Study 2 investigated the interrelationships among infidelity, psychological distress, and relationship satisfaction over time. Results suggested that… 
View on SAGE
fincham.info
98 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
7
Background Citations
60
Methods Citations
1
Results Citations
6

Figures and Tables from this paper

98 Citations

Betrayals in Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Perspective of Infidelity

Emerging adults’ reasons for engaging in infidelity were attributed primarily to their primary relationships and/or their romantic partners not fulfilling their needs for interdependence and thus feeling motivated to fulfill these needs elsewhere.

What Helps Couples Rebuild Their Relationship After Infidelity?

Despite infidelity being a highly traumatic experience, not all couples end their relationship after discovery of the affair. The present study provides insights into the experience of couples who…

Exploring intergenerational patterns of infidelity

Three 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…

The Relationship Between the Motivation to Commit Infidelity and Negative Affect and Self-Esteem: How Cheating in Romance Might Signal Positive Well-Being in Adolescents

In a sample of Spanish adolescents, results showed that committing an act of infidelity due to sexual or emotional dissatisfaction is related to higher levels of psychological well-being by undermining negative affect, thereby increasing the levels of self-esteem.

The Science of Two‐Timing: The State of Infidelity Research

This article provides an overview of research on infidelity in an effort to synthesize past studies and orient future studies. It begins with infidelity estimates, followed by a synopsis of…

Intimacy, Loneliness & Infidelity

This article explores the experience of loneliness in intimacy, with a special focus on infidelity. First, the notion of intimacy and love are examined and related to the concept of loneliness. To be…

Effect of Cheating Experience on Attitudes toward Infidelity

The present study investigated how cheating experience influences perception of others’ infidelity. Using vignette characters, we explored the hypothesis that a participant’s experience cheating on a…

Effect of Cheating Experience on Attitudes toward Infidelity

The present study investigated how cheating experience influences perception of others’ infidelity. Using vignette characters, we explored the hypothesis that a participant’s experience cheating on a…

Drawing the Line: The Development of a Comprehensive Assessment of Infidelity Judgments

The three studies reported here advanced the literature by developing and validating the Definitions of Infidelity Questionnaire (DIQ), a comprehensive measure examining infidelity judgments, and identifying areas of ambiguity and consensus.

The Webs We Weave: Predicting Infidelity Motivations and Extradyadic Relationship Satisfaction

Sexual motivations for infidelity were best predicted by being male, having an unrestricted sociosexual orientation, experiencing less sex guilt, having greater Christian identification, and being less satisfied with the primary partner.
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 69 REFERENCES

Dating infidelity: behaviors, reasons and consequences.

Older adolescents were surveyed concerning three issues: behaviors which constitute infidelity in a dating relationship, reasons for a dating partner to be unfaithful, and reactions to a dating…

An Investment Model Prediction of Dating Infidelity

Many researchers have examined the justifications individuals give after being unfaithful to their romantic partners. However, very little research has been done to determine factors that actually…

Loving the one you hurt: Positive effects of recounting a transgression against an intimate partner

Intimate partners described a past transgression in which one of them had been a victim and the other a perpetrator and then evaluated each other and their relationship. Participants had been…

Personal narratives about guilt: Role in action control and interpersonal relationships.

Two studies explored interpersonal and action-control aspects of guilt. Both spontaneous and partner-induced guilt were studied using first-person accounts of interpersonal transgressions and guilt…

Expectations and Attributions Regarding Extramarital Sex Among Young Married Individuals

Abstract Limited research suggests that beliefs regarding the interrelationship of sex, love, and marriage may be predictive of attributions concerning extramarital sex (EMS). We explored these…

Marital Infidelity

Suggestions are made for the treatment of a delayed traumatic reaction, and suggestions designed to sensitize therapists to the possibility of a suppressed reaction to marital infidelity as a possible underlying issue in individual or couples therapy.

Extradyadic Involvement during Dating

College student men (n = 299) and women (n = 392) reported their experiences with extradyadic (ED) dating and sexual activity. We also investigated the relationships between ED activity and…

Justifications for extramarital relationships: The association between attitudes, behaviors, and gender

Married persons completed anonymous questionnaires rating the extent to which they would feel justified having an extramarital relationship for 17 reasons derived from the clinical and research…

Victim and offender accounts of interpersonal conflict: autobiographical narratives of forgiveness and unforgiveness.

Both victim or offender role and forgiveness must be considered to understand narratives of interpersonal offenses, which portrayed offenses as closed and with positive outcomes.

Marital separation and extramarital sexual behavior

Abstract The factors related to the occurrence of extramarital coitus (EMC) among persons whose marriages terminate in separation or divorce and the impact of participation in EMC on postmarital…
...