Infidelity is a leading cause
of relationship discord and dissolution, and couples generally report
expectations to maintain monogamy. However, a majority of men and women report
engaging in some form of infidelity at least once in their lives.
Research
assessing judgments of the behaviors that constitute infidelity is lacking. The
three studies reported here advanced the literature by developing and
validating the Definitions of Infidelity Questionnaire (DIQ), a comprehensive
measure examining infidelity judgments. Exploratory and confirmatory factor
analyses indicated four factors to the scale: sexual/explicit behaviors,
technology/online behaviors, emotional/affectionate behaviors, and solitary
behaviors. Investigation of the psychometric properties demonstrated the DIQ to
be reliable and valid.
Participants agreed that sexual/explicit behaviors
comprised infidelity to the largest extent, whereas other types of behaviors
(technology/online behaviors, emotional/affectionate behaviors, and solitary behaviors)
were judged as comprising infidelity to a lesser extent. Men reported more
permissive judgments than did women.
This study provides insights regarding
operationalizing infidelity and identifying areas of ambiguity and consensus.
Implications of the findings for educators and practitioners working with
individuals in intimate relationships are discussed.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/E4CdYy
By:
- a Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick
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