Infidelity in dating relationships: undergraduate students' unrealistic expectations regarding the likelihood that their partners are unfaithful
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2011
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Abstract
Dating infidelity occurs frequently and can have devastating consequences for both the relationship and the individuals involved. The present studies investigated whether individuals in dating relationships have unrealistic expectations regarding the likelihood of their partners being unfaithful, what factors are related to expectations, and whether expectations are related to outcomes following infidelity. In the first study, 162 undergraduate students whose partners had been unfaithful to them completed an online questionnaire that retrospectively examined their expectations prior to the infidelity as well as their actual experiences with infidelity. In the second study, 209 undergraduate students in dating relationships were asked about their current expectations for infidelity as well as how they imagine they would respond were they to discover that their partners had been unfaithful. As hypothesized, both studies provided evidence that individuals have unduly optimistic expectations regarding the likelihood that their partners would be unfaithful. Using several comparison points, including published prevalence rates of infidelity, I found that individuals significantly underestimated the likelihood of infidelity. Individuals who had suspected that their partners might be unfaithful or who had experienced a current partner's infidelity reported significantly higher estimates of the likelihood that their partners would be unfaithful than those who had not. My results also suggested that unduly optimistic expectations may be beneficial in the absence of infidelity; as estimates of the likelihood of infidelity decreased, relationship satisfaction increased. Further, unrealistic expectations did not appear to be detrimental in the aftermath of infidelity in that they were not related to forgiveness or relationship dissolution. Together, these studies make important contributions to our understanding of expectations for infidelity in dating relationships and show that, by and large, individuals do not expect that their partners will be unfaithful. As this was the first study to examine expectations for infidelity in dating relationships, further studies are needed to replicate the current findings and to examine other potential costs and benefits of unrealistic expectations. Clinical implications will be discussed, including how this research can be used to normalize an individual's experience following an infidelity. My results will also be considered from an evolutionary perspective.
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Bibliography: p. 132-137
Includes copy of ethics approval. Original copy with original Partial Copyright Licence.
Includes copy of ethics approval. Original copy with original Partial Copyright Licence.
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Citation
Watkins, S. J. (2011). Infidelity in dating relationships: undergraduate students' unrealistic expectations regarding the likelihood that their partners are unfaithful (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/4387