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Premarital precursors of infidelity were evaluated in a sample of 72 couples (N = 144) who were taking part in a longitudinal study of marriage. Premarital self-report and observational data were compared for couples who experienced infidelity and those who did not experience infidelity in the first years of marriage. Couples in which the male engaged in marital infidelity were characterized, premaritally, by significantly lower male sexual satisfaction, lower male positive communication, and higher female invalidation, whereas couples in which the female went on to engage in infidelity were characterized, premaritally, by significantly lower levels of female positive communication, higher levels of male and female negative communication, and higher levels of male and female invalidation. Implications of the findings for future research on the prediction and prevention of infidelity are discussed.
Fam Proc 47:243-259, 2008
In the United States, the vast majority of marrying individuals expect to be monogamous (Wiederman & Allgeier, 1996) and disapproval rates of extramarital sex are high (Johnson et al., 2002), yet up to 34% of men and 19% of women in older cohorts report engaging in extramarital sex at some point in their lives (Wiederman, 1997). When infidelity occurs, it is typically viewed as a marital betrayal and is in fact one of the most commonly cited reasons for marital dissolution (Amato & Previti, 2003). A number of theoretical models have been applied to infidelity, with varying emphases on the individual engaging in the behavior, the marital context, or social and cultural norms. For example, attachment theory focuses on intrapersonal factors (Alien & Baucom, 2004; Bogaert & Sadava, 2002), social constructionist theory focuses on cultural socialization (Penn, Hernandez, & Bermudez;, 1997), and investment models focus on primary relationship issues such as satisfaction, investment, and commitment (Drigotas, Safstrom, & Gentilia, 1999). The most parsimonious model incorporating these theories may be a diathesis-stress model, in which intrapersonal (diathesis) and contextual (stress) factors operate together to increase likelihood of engaging in infidelity.
In cross-sectional research, studies have found links between a history of infidelity and intrapersonal (diathesis) characteristics such as age, religiosity, attitudes toward infidelity, personality, and mental health. Some of these variables may have direct effects on extramarital sexual behavior, whereas other variables may have either indirect effects or represent the...