Abstract

Infidelity is a challenging but prominent issue in couple therapy. In addition to the negative outcomes, clinicians generally report that infidelity is the second most difficult problem to treat after intimate partner violence. The purpose of this study was to identify the recovery process in the betrayed (non-participating) partner. Specifically, we sought to identify the implications of online infidelity (infidelity that occurs through Internet modalities, such as social media messaging, direct messages, etc.) on the betrayed partner during recovery. Across three focus groups of those in dating relationships, we identified an eight-stage process through the lens of the betrayed partner: intuition, investigation, discovery, confrontation, response, forgiveness/limbo, termination, and new rules. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

摘要

不忠是夫妻治疗中一个具有挑战性但突出的问题。除了负面结果外，临床医生普遍报告说，不忠是仅次于亲密伴侣暴力的第二大最难治疗的问题。本研究的目的是确定被背叛（非参与）伙伴的恢复过程。具体来说，我们试图确定在线不忠（通过社交媒体消息、直接消息等互联网方式发生的不忠）在恢复过程中对被背叛的伴侣的影响。在约会关系中的三个焦点小组中，我们通过被背叛伴侣的视角确定了一个八阶段过程：直觉、调查、发现、对抗、回应、宽恕/地狱、终止和新规则。讨论了理论和临床意义。