Examining Variations in Participation and Outcomes of Consensual and Nonconsensual Extradyadic Behavior among Ashley Madison Users

Despite the abundance of studies investigating individual differences associated with extradyadic behavior (EB), nearly all have adopted retrospective measures in which the data is likely plagued by recall biases. In addition, few studies have explored individual differences or outcomes associated w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of sex research 2021-11, Vol.58 (9), p.1194-1204
Main Authors: Thompson, Ashley E., Wilder, Delaney, Kulibert, Danica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Behavior
Consent
Gender differences
Gender identity
Individual differences
Older women
Technology
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Summary:Despite the abundance of studies investigating individual differences associated with extradyadic behavior (EB), nearly all have adopted retrospective measures in which the data is likely plagued by recall biases. In addition, few studies have explored individual differences or outcomes associated with EB between those with consenting and nonconsenting primary partners. Thus, the current study investigated the extent to which Ashley Madison users participated in a wide range of EBs, whether age, gender, and sexual identity predicted participation, and the extent to which outcomes were impacted by partner consent. The results from 1460 adults (962 men, 498 women) revealed that users reported engaging in three categories of behaviors: sexual/explicit, technology/online, and emotional/affectionate behaviors and that women and those older in age reported participating in EBs more frequently than men and those younger in age. Finally, 16.9% of the sample had a primary partner that consented to their Ashley Madison use and those with consenting partners reported greater perceived improvement in their primary relationship than did those with nonconsenting partners. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing the multitude of behaviors that Ashley Madison users participate in and whether consent was obtained. Implications for educators and practitioners are discussed.
ISSN:0022-4499
1559-8519
DOI:10.1080/00224499.2021.1908509