Home The other side of the coin: A narrative inquiry into the positive consequences of infidelity among young adults
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The other side of the coin: A narrative inquiry into the positive consequences of infidelity among young adults

  • Denisa Hnatkovičová EMAIL logo , Nikola Kallová and Lucia Hargašová
Published/Copyright: April 24, 2022

Abstract

There is certainly no shortage of studies describing the unwanted effects of infidelity in the relevant literature. By contrast, this paper examines the previously unexplored face of infidelity – namely, the subjectively perceived positive effects. One hundred and four participants from Slovakia in emerging and/or young adulthood shared their relationship history through semi-structured interviews (transcribed verbatim). Sixty-nine of these were self-moderated in written form. The same topics were covered in the two types of interview. Using a categorical-content analysis method, four categories were created. These described the constructive functions of infidelity, including enhancing relationship quality; aiding a desired breakup; satisfying unmet needs; and facilitating the decision-making process during the transition period before settling into a long-term relationship. For future research we recommend differentiating between beneficial episodes of infidelity, focusing on personal characteristics and subjective experiences of infidelity, and including non-heterosexual participants.

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under Contract no. APVV-18-0303.

References

Arnett, J. J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from late teens through the twenties. Oxford University Press.Search in Google Scholar

Arnett J. J. (2018). Adolescence and emerging adulthood: a cultural approach. Pearson.Search in Google Scholar

Atkins, D. C., Baucom, D. H., & Jacobson, N. S. (2001). Understanding infidelity: Correlates in a national random sample. Journal of family psychology, 15(4), 735.10.1037//0893-3200.15.4.735Search in Google Scholar

Atkins, D. C., Marín, R. A., Lo, T. T. Y., Klann, N., & Hahlweg, K. (2010). Outcomes of couples with infidelity in a community-based sample of couple therapy. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 212–216. doi:10.1037/a001878910.1037/a0018789Search in Google Scholar

Barta, W. D., & Kiene, S. M. (2005). Motivations for infidelity in heterosexual dating couples: The roles of gender, personality differences, and sociosexual orientation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22(3), 339–360.10.1177/0265407505052440Search in Google Scholar

Bauman, Z. (2002). Tekutá modernita [Liquid modernity]. Mladá Fronta, Praha.Search in Google Scholar

Blow, A. J., & Hartnett, K. (2005). Infidelity in committed relationships II: A substantive review. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 31, 217–233.10.1111/j.1752-0606.2005.tb01556.xSearch in Google Scholar

Boekhout, B. A., Hendrick, S. S., & Hendrick, C. (2003). Exploring infidelity: Developing the relationship issues scale. Journal of Loss &Trauma, 8(4), 283–306. doi:10.1080/1532502030588210.1080/15325020305882Search in Google Scholar

Brand, R. J., Markey, C. M., Mills, A., & Hodges, S. R. (2007). Sex differences in selfreported infidelity and its correlates. Sex Roles, 57, 101–109.10.1007/s11199-007-9221-5Search in Google Scholar

Buss, D. M., Larsen, R. J., Westen, D., & Semmelroth, J. (1992). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology, and psychology. Psychological Science, 3, 251–256.10.1111/j.1467-9280.1992.tb00038.xSearch in Google Scholar

Buunk, B. P., Angleitner, A., Oubaid, V., & Buss, D. M. (1996). Sex differences in jealousy in evolutionary and cultural perspective: Tests from the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. Psychological Science, 7, 359–363.10.1111/j.1467-9280.1996.tb00389.xSearch in Google Scholar

Buunk, B. (1980). Extramarital sex in the Netherlands: Motivation in social and marital context. Alternative Lifestyles, 3, 11–39.10.1007/BF01083027Search in Google Scholar

Buunk, B. P. (1995). Sex, self-esteem, dependency and extradyadic sexual experience as related to jealousy responses. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 147–153.10.1177/0265407595121011Search in Google Scholar

Conley, T. D., Ziegler, A., Moors, A. C., Matsick, J. L., & Valentine, B. (2013). A critical examination of popular assumptions about the benefits and outcomes of monogamous relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(2), 124–141.10.1177/1088868312467087Search in Google Scholar

DePaulo, B. M., & Morris, W. L. (2005). Singles in society and science. Psychological Inquiry, 16, 57–83. doi:10.1080=1047840X.2005.968291810.1080=1047840X.2005.9682918Search in Google Scholar

DeSteno, D., Bartlett, M. Y., Braverman, J., & Salovey, P. (2002). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolutionary mechanism or artifact of measurement? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1103.10.1037//0022-3514.83.5.1103Search in Google Scholar

Edelstein, R. S., Chopik, W. J., & Kean, E. L. (2011). Sociosexuality moderates the association between testosterone and relationship status in men and women. Hormones and Behavior, 60, 248–255.10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.05.007Search in Google Scholar

Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis (No. 7). WW Norton & company.Search in Google Scholar

Erikson, E. H. (Ed.). (1963). Youth: Change and challenge. Basic books.Search in Google Scholar

Feldman, S. S., & Cauffman, E. (1999). Your cheatin’ heart: Attitudes, behaviors, and correlates of sexual betrayal in late adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 9, 227–252.10.1207/s15327795jra0903_1Search in Google Scholar

Finkel, E. J., Hui, C. M., Carswell, K. L., & Larson, G. M. (2014). The suffocation of marriage: Climbing Mount Maslow without enough oxygen. Psychological Inquiry, 25, 1–41.10.1080/1047840X.2014.863723Search in Google Scholar

Glass, S. P., & Wright, T. L. (1988). Clinical implications of research on extramarital involvement. In R. Brown & J. Fields (Eds.), Treatment of sexual problems in individual and couples therapy (pp. 301–346). New York, NY: PMA.Search in Google Scholar

Goldberg, A. (1975). A fresh look at perverse behavior. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 56, 335–342.Search in Google Scholar

Goldenberg, J. L., Landau, M. J., Pyszczynski, T., Cox, C. R., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S, & Dunnam, H. (2003). Gender-typical responses to sexual and emotional infidelity as a function of mortality salience induced self-esteem striving. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1585–1595.10.1177/0146167203256880Search in Google Scholar

Gordon, K. C., Baucom, D. H., & Snyder, D. K. (2004). An integrative intervention for promoting recovery from extramarital affairs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 30, 213–231. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2004.tb01235.x10.1111/j.1752-0606.2004.tb01235.xSearch in Google Scholar

Haupert, M. L., Gesselman, A. N., Moors, A. C., Fisher, H. E., & Garcia, J. R. (2017). Prevalence of experiences with consensual nonmonogamous relationships: Findings from two national samples of single Americans. Journal of sex & marital therapy, 43(5), 424–440.10.1080/0092623X.2016.1178675Search in Google Scholar

Hubert, M., Bajos, N., & Sandfort T. (1998). Sexual behavior and HIV/AIDS in Europe. London: UCL PressSearch in Google Scholar

Jovchelovitch, S., & Bauer, M. W. (2000). Narrative interviewing. Qualitative researching with text, image and sound, 57-74.10.4135/9781849209731.n4Search in Google Scholar

Kallová, N., & Hargašová, L. (2021). Keď jeden chce viac než druhý: Ako asymetria v túžbe po partnerovi ovplyvňuje kvalitu romantických vzťahov počas vynárajúcej sa dospelosti [When one wants more than the other: How asymmetry in the desire for a partner affects the quality of romantic relationships during emerging adulthood]. In M. Baránková (Ed.), Community Psychology in Slovakia 2021: Proceedings from 8th Conference (pp. 136–179). Bratislava: Institute of Applied Psychology, Comenius University in Bratislava.Search in Google Scholar

Kaplánová, A., & Gregor, A. (2019). Guilt-and shame-proneness and their relation to perceptions of dating infidelity. Studia psychologica, 61(3), 145–158.10.21909/sp.2019.03.779Search in Google Scholar

Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., & Martin, C. (1948). Sexual behavior in the human male. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.Search in Google Scholar

Levine, S. B. (2005). A clinical perspective on infidelity. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 20(2), 143–153.10.1080/14681990500113203Search in Google Scholar

Lewin, B., Fugl-Meyer, K., Helmius, G., Lalos, A., & Mansson, S. A. (Eds). (2000). Sex in Sweden. On the Swedish sexual life. Stockholm: National Institute of Public Health.Search in Google Scholar

Lieblich, A., Tuval-Mashiach, R., & Zilber, T. (1998). Narrative Research: Reading, analysis and interpretation. London: Sage Publications.10.4135/9781412985253Search in Google Scholar

Marín, R. A., Christensen, A., & Atkins, D. C. (2014). Infidelity and behavioral couple therapy: Relationship outcomes over 5 years following therapy. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 3(1), 1.10.1037/cfp0000012Search in Google Scholar

Martins, A., Pereira, M., Andrade, R., Dattilio, F. M., Narciso, I., & Canavarro, M. C. (2016). Infidelity in dating relationships: Gender-specific correlates of face-to-face and online extradyadic involvement. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(1), 193-205.10.1007/s10508-015-0576-3Search in Google Scholar

Moller, N. P., & Vossler, A. (2015). Defining infidelity in research and couple counseling: A qualitative study. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 41(5), 487-497. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2014.93131410.1080/0092623X.2014.931314Search in Google Scholar

Moors, A. C., Mastick, J. L., & Schechinger, H. A. (2017). Unique and shared relationship benefits of consensually non-monogamous and monogamous relationships: A review and insights for moving forward. European Psychologist, 22(1), 55–71.10.1027/1016-9040/a000278Search in Google Scholar

Potyszová, K., & Bártová, K. (2021). Romantická žárlivost u heterosexuálních a homosexuálních jedinců z pohledu evoluční psychologie [Evolutionary perspective of romantic jealousy in heterosexual and homosexual individuals]. Československá Psychologie, 65(1), 101–110.10.51561/cspsych.65.1.101Search in Google Scholar

Sagarin, B. J., Becker, D. V., Guadagno, R. E., Wilkinson, W. W., & Nicastle, L. D. (2012). A reproductive threat-based model of evolved sex differences in jealousy. Evolutionary Psychology, 10, 487–503.10.1177/147470491201000307Search in Google Scholar

Salmansohn, K. (2009). Prince harming syndrome: Break bad relationship patterns for good. Long Island City, NY: Langenscheidt Publishing Group.Search in Google Scholar

Seal, S. W., Agostinelli, G., & Hannet, C. A. (1994). Extradyadic romantic involvement: Moderating effects of sociosexuality and gender. Sex Roles, 3, 1–22.10.1007/BF01560274Search in Google Scholar

Schmitt, D. P. (2005). Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of human mating. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28(2), 247.10.1017/S0140525X05000051Search in Google Scholar

Smiler, B. (2011). There’s no such thing as Polyamory. Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, 14.Search in Google Scholar

Spector-Mersel, G. (2010). Narrative research: Time for a paradigm. Narrative inquiry, 20(1), 204–224.10.1075/ni.20.1.10speSearch in Google Scholar

Thompson, A. E., Bagley, A. J., & Moore, E. A. (2018). Young men and women’s implicit attitudes towards consensually nonmonogamous relationships. Psychology & Sexuality, 9(2), 117–131.10.1080/19419899.2018.1435560Search in Google Scholar

Treas, J., & Giesen, D. (2000). Sexual infidelity among married men and cohabiting Americans. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 48–60.10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00048.xSearch in Google Scholar

Trivers, R. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man 1871-1971, (pp 136–179). Chicago, IL: Aldine.10.4324/9781315129266-7Search in Google Scholar

Trop, J. L. (1988). Erotic and eroticized transference. A self-psychology perspective. Psychoanalytic psychology, 5(3), 269.10.1037//0736-9735.5.3.269Search in Google Scholar

Træen, B., Holmen, K., & Stigum, H. (2007). Extradyadic sexual relationships in Norway. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36(1), 55–65.10.1007/s10508-006-9080-0Search in Google Scholar

Vangelisti, A. L., & Gerstenberger, M. (2004). Communication and marital infidelity. In J. Duncombe, K. Harrison, G. Allan, & D. Marsden (Eds.), The state of affairs: Explorations in infidelity and commitment (pp. 59–78). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.10.4324/9781410610652-4Search in Google Scholar

Wiederman, M. W., & Hurd, C. (1999). Extradyadic involvement during dating. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 265–274.10.1177/0265407599162008Search in Google Scholar

Willey, A. (2006). ‘Christian nations’, ‘polygamic races’ and women’s rights: Toward a genealogy of non/monogamy and whiteness. Sexualities, 9(5), 530–546.10.1177/1363460706069964Search in Google Scholar

Wilson, K., Mattingly, B., Clark, E., Weidler, D., & Bequette, A. (2011). The gray area: Exploring attitudes toward infidelity and the development of the Perceptions of Dating Infidelity Scale. Journal of Social Psychology, 151(1), 63–86.10.1080/00224540903366750Search in Google Scholar

Wood, J., De Santis, C., Desmarais, S., & Milhausen, R. (2021). Motivations for engaging in consensually non-monogamous relationships. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1–20.10.1007/s10508-020-01873-xSearch in Google Scholar

Wright, R. (1994). The moral animal: The new science of evolutionary psychology. Pantheon Books.Search in Google Scholar

Yarab, P. E., Sensibaugh, C. C., & Allgeier, E. R. (1998). More than just sex: Gender differences in the incidence of self-defined unfaithful behavior in heterosexual dating relationships. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 10(2), 45–57.10.1300/J056v10n02_03Search in Google Scholar

Published Online: 2022-04-24
Published in Print: 2022-04-26

© 2022 Institute for Research in Social Communication, Slovak Academy of Sciences

Downloaded on 28.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/humaff-2022-0021/html
Scroll to top button