Infidelity:

Infidelity in Relationships remains a hot topic in popular culture depicted in movies and shows. However, the layman knows more about the concept of infidelity. Infidelity refers to a partner’s violating norms and regulating emotional or physical intimacy with people outside the relationship.

Causes of Infidelity:

Infidelity is the engagement in a sexual and emotional act by a person outside their primary relationship. Therefore,  infidelity also includes establishing a breach of trust or violating agreed-upon norms by one or both partners. Let’s have a look at the various possible causes of cheating in a relationship:

• Lack of communication, connection, and romance is the prime reason to decrease satisfaction in the relationship. A study found that extramarital sex was least common with high relationship satisfaction, including factors such as fulfilling personal needs, degree of love experienced for the partner, frequency and quality of sex with the partner, and the length of the marriage.

• In terms of sexual intimacy, when one partner wants to try something new, but the other refuses escort to a partner seeking pleasure outside the relationship. Research indicated that unhappy individuals expected themselves and their spouses to engage in infidelity in the future.

• Marriage Counsellors noticed that infidelity is a person’s attempt to enhance self-confidence. Individuals with low self-esteem and self-acceptance also reported an association with infidelity. Research also pointed out that individuals enter into extradyadic connections when they experience emotional vulnerability.

• Cohabitating couples are more likely to engage in infidelity, contrary to their married counterparts. The low investments in their financial unions during cohabitation resulted in a greater risk for infidelity.

• The work environment provides good opportunities to get to know and spend time with co-workers. Higher rates of extramarital sexual involvement among individuals who work outside the home while their partners stay home.

• Revenge hostility is one of the reasons for people to engage in infidelity. Revenge of their partner involved in an extramarital affair or other harm.

• Past engagement in infidelity results in higher rates of continuation of the same practice. Hence, someone unfaithful to their partner has an increased chance of repeating the same behaviour as they have more permissive beliefs about it.

• Decreased marital satisfaction and witnessed their parents engaging in infidelity have more conflicts and end up being the same. Parental infidelity, parental conflict, and parental marital satisfaction are associated with the likelihood of the descendants engaging in extramarital.

• Individuals are likely to be faithful in relationships where both partners have a similar degree of agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to new experiences. Adulterers are more open to new experiences and extraversion than their partners. A study indicated person having partnered with high neuroticism or extraversion is more likely to engage in infidelity.

• Dissatisfied Feelings and conflict in married life drive people to become unfaithful to their partners. And doing it through social media is considered much safer than in real life.

The consequences of infidelity involve the breach of trust and norms of a relationship, strained relationships and families, contracting sexually transmitted diseases which may be fatal, divorce, violence, and murder. Common psychological issues experienced by both involved and non-involved partners include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Counselling for dealing with the issue of infidelity includes building a stronger foundation of relationships enabling them to handle emotions, resolve conflicts and mistrust, and repair the damage caused. Counselling helps the person to take accountability for actions, enhances communication between the partners and encourages them to rebuild trust and save the relationship.

Dr Nisha Khanna is a qualified, experienced, and trained Relationship Expert with 20+ years of experience and is a Senior Consultant – Counselling Psychologist at Panchsheel Enclave in New Delhi and proffers online, telephonically, and face-to-face Counselling Services. If you are in Delhi, India or any other part of the World, you can approach us through any of these mediums. For details, visit Bye Tense, or call us at +91–9818211474