The impact of extramarital relationships on the continuation of marriages

Abstract

Two groups of practicing therapists were asked to describe in depth a specific extramarital affair with which they were very familiar--whether as therapist, relative, or friend or were themselves involved. Of 62 cases, 21, or 34%, ended in divorce--in the therapists' judgments as a consequence of the infidelity. In 27 cases, or 43.5%, the marriages were preserved, but in an overall dysphoric or negative atmosphere. In 4 cases, or 6%, the marriages were intact but either the marriage was "blah" or empty in quality or the future of the marriage was judged as still in doubt. Only in 9 cases, or 14.5%, were the marriages reported intact and characterized by improvement and growth. Of these, 4 were cases of one-time affairs. Analysis of the direct impact of the affair on the betrayed spouses showed that the majority of the betrayed husbands and wives suffered significant damage to their self-image, personal confidence, or sexual confidence, feelings of abandonment, attacks on their sense of belonging, betrayals of trust, enraged feelings, and/or a surge of justification to leave their spouses. The judgments of the therapists reporting the cases were that fully 89% of the betrayed spouses either were consciously aware of the infidelity or, even if not acknowledging, really knew, and that even the majority of the betrayed spouses who claimed consciously that they opposed their spouses' behavior were unconsciously in collusion with them.

Factors involving extramarital affairs among married adults in Bangladesh

“…68 This unrecoverable damage of trust and faith in eternal relationships is the core reason behind the rapid increase in the divorce rate of Bangladesh. 69 Resilience and negligence to this downfall is quite suicidal as the collapse of any social value or belief or norm gradually takes an epidemic form.…”

Recovery From Infidelity: Exploring Variables Related to the Healing Process

“…Charny and Parnass (1995) found that 15% of their couples reported that their relationships improved after the infidelity. Additionally, in a qualitative study of the process individuals go through following the disclosure of an affair, many couples described experiencing unintended positive relationship outcomes including developing a closer marital relationship, becoming more assertive, realizing the importance of good marital communication, placing higher value on the family, and taking better care of oneself (Olson et al, 2002).…”

“…The sparse empirical literature that has focused on the healing process and positives outcomes includes work by Charny and Parnass (1995), Hansen (1987), and Olson et al (2002). Charny and Parnass (1995) found that 15% of their couples reported that their relationships improved after the infidelity.…”

“…Additionally, in a study of divorced men and women, 40% of men and 44% of women reported having more than one extramarital sexual contact during their marriages (Janus & Janus, 1993). The negative consequences of infidelity include loss of trust, damaged self-esteem, disruption to other relationships such as the relationships with children, friends or parents; financial consequences, suffering from emotional problems and divorce (Amato & Rogers, 1997;Charny & Parnass, 1995;and Schneider, Irons & Corley, 1999). Furthermore, infidelity is reported to be among the most difficult relationship issues to treat in couples's therapy and infidelity is the most frequently cited cause of divorce (Amato & Rogers, 1997;Atkins, Baucom & Jacobson, 2001;Charny & Parnass, 1995;Schneider, Irons & Corley, 1999;Whisman, Dixon, & Johnson, 1997;Winek & Craven, 2003).…”

Propping Up Our Knowledge of G Protein Signaling Pathways: Diverse Functions of Putative Noncanonical Gβ Subunits in Fungi

“…Selective pressure for the loss of the Gβ would occur if Gα binding to Gβ-like proteins created a pool of dissociated, and thus activated, Gβγ dimers that inappropriately activated downstream effectors. As in these fungal systems, a similar link between promiscuity and the loss of a partner has been observed in humans, as shown by a study examining the effect of adultery on the stability of marriages (27). Hoffman Page 7 Table 1 A comparison of the fungal Gβ-like proteins.…”