Identity Concerns Following a Severe Relational Transgression: The Role of Discovery Method for the Relational Outcomes of Infidelity

Extant evidence suggests that dating infidelity is a relatively common occurrence. Yet, despite infidelity's status as an unacceptable relational behavior and a prototypical relational transgression, there seems to be considerable variance in its relational impact. In this investigation, we use...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social and personal relationships 2001-04, Vol.18 (2), p.291-308
Main Authors: Afifi, Walid A., Falato, Wendy L., Weiner, Judith L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Students
Dating
Dating (Social)
Identity
Impression Management
Infidelity
Interpersonal Relations
Intimacy
Male-female relationships
Promiscuity
Sexual Behavior
Social Identity
Social relations
Students
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Summary:Extant evidence suggests that dating infidelity is a relatively common occurrence. Yet, despite infidelity's status as an unacceptable relational behavior and a prototypical relational transgression, there seems to be considerable variance in its relational impact. In this investigation, we use an identity management framework to argue that the method of infidelity discovery plays an important role in predicting subsequent relational outcomes. One-hundred fifteen college students who had experienced infidelity in a dating relationship completed measures assessing the method of discovery and the infidelity's impact on the relationship. The results generally support the utility of an identity management framework, but also suggest several potentially fruitful avenues for future investigations.
ISSN:0265-4075
1460-3608
DOI:10.1177/0265407501182007