Perceptions of Infidelity in Adults According to the Experience of Adultery in their Families of Origin and Aspects of Conveying them to Children

Although infidelity still is a problem faced by many couples, there are some studies investigating why it does not always terminate relationships. It is therefore critical to consider variables that influence the decisions made. In our study, we focus on what is the family`s role as the " socialization agent." We discuss children`s perceptions of infidelity in their family of origin, and how it may influence their thinking about the phenomenon of infidelity in adulthood. We assumed that adult people`s perceptions of infidelity vary according to their parent’s experience of extra-dyadic relationships. For this, we divided adult respondents into different groups according to their childhood experience. We analyzed the differences in theit thinking of the infidelity. We were also interested in whether there would be a difference between groups of individuals in their messages about adultery and how to deal with it to their children Our hypotheses were as follows: Perceptions of infidelity in adults and transmission of these perceptions to children will vary among respondent groups with different experiences of infidelity in their families of origin. Participants (N = 670) were 68 male and 602 female individuals (mean age = 37,7). These participants completed an online- questionnaire containing a series of measures about them and their experience of infidelity in their lives. They were also given some open questions. Participants were asked “What do you think infidelity is?” and “What would you tell about it to your children?” Given answers were analyzed in both quantitative (focused on counting and measuring) and qualitative (focused on interpreting and understanding) content analysis Participants (N = 670) were devided in three groups according to their child experience of adultery in the family of origin .The first group (N = 345) were participants with no experience of infidelity in their family of origin. The second group (N= 182) were participants, whose parents have cheated, but children were not involved in the situation between parents. The third group (N=142) were participants with active involvement and triangulation experience in the situation of infidelity in their family of origin. Discussion: Family context and children`s experience of infidelity in their families of origin influences the thinking of infidelity in adults: a group of triangulated participants most often defines infidelity as stress, grief and loss. There is a connection between family context and gender. Women are present in the third group, thinking about infidelity as grief and loss, while men more speak about infidelity as “sometimes socially acceptable behavior” People who are cheating or were recently cheating on their partners mostly represent infidelity as “self-issue” and less speak about it as betrayal. In messages about infidelity to children, all groups of participants tend to humanize motives and ideas about it, but the triangulated one would recommend termination of relationship