Marriage and Infidelity

People’s interactions of fidelity set the stage for the way in which they deal with infidelity in their relationships. As seen or heard, many women expect their partners to cheat, and most men don’t expect their partners to. These expectations determine subsequent reactions to infidelity. Research has reported that men and women experience their infidelity differently, women describe their infidelity as more emotional, where as men describe their infidelity as more sexual. For example, some individuals may not consider emotional intimacy as a violation of the relationship commitment. Others may disagree about what physical behaviors constitute infidelity, believing that only intercourse confirms infidelity, whereas others hold that behaviors such as kissing constitute a breach of trust and commitment to fidelity. Partners may disagree over the definition of infidelity and thus disagree with whether it has occurred. Of the many definitions in research, Johnson (2005) defines infidelity as any action that is perceived and/or experienced as hurtful betrayal of trust or threat to a relationship; it is any action that undermines the stability of a couple’s attachment bond (Johnson 2005). Infidelity can be sexual, emotional, or both. Sexual infidelity is any behavior that involves sexual contact, such as kissing, intimate touching, oral sex, or sexual intercourse. Emotional infidelity involves the formation of a emotional attachment to or affection of another person, and can involve such behaviors as flirting, dating, intimate conversations, or falling in love (Drigotas & Barta, 2001). Infidelity can occur in a marital, cohabitating, or dating relationship and is therefore more generally referred to as extra dyadic involvement (e.g., Thompson, 1983). There are cultures, and subcultures in our society, in which it is expected that people in committed relationships will have affairs, and these affairs are viewed without much disapproval. The rule is that the affairs