Understanding Infidelity Social Sciences Research Paper

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Understanding Infidelity
Introduction
Infidelity describes the betrayal of sexual or emotional commitments or investments in other people, and it is the leading cause of breakups in relationships as well as most marriages around the world. Cases of suicides, homicides, and other psychological effects requiring special attention also form part of the adverse repercussions of infidelity at the extreme. A strong correlation also exists between the spread of sexually transmitted diseases or infection and infidelity, which further stresses on the importance of making a detailed discussion on the subject. It is a disgraceful menace to the society demanding an unbiased approach to determine the underlying causes for its proliferation in the society today or at the very least elaborate on the perceivable factors leading to infidelity in a relationship. A natural feature in human beings is to have that which they desire, and as such temptation to indulge oneself when the opportunity arises is often so hard to overcome. It is without a doubt that temptation is one of the most common reasons given for a person’s infidelity, but is it truly the underlying factor or are there any other equally contributing or driving factors towards infidelity? A comprehensive approach towards addressing the outlined issue requires providing answers to the simple and most often discussed question in the society on matters relationships, why do people cheat?
Understanding Infidelity
Infidelity forms one of the major concerns for different societies around the world today owing to the equally diverse negative repercussions it brings to relationships, marriages, and other forms of intimate or emotional companionships in the past, current, and future generations (Weiner-Davis). The rates of divorce in marriages are skyrocketing in communities around the globe, even those deemed conservative and tolerant to multiple marriage partners. Consequently, the foundation upon which the institution of marriage and kinship forms risks becoming extinct as the widespread occurrence of infidelity in the process of forming the outlined relations and even after their formation serves to undermine the key principles of such relationships. The concept of love which encompasses such real and admirable virtues such as kindness, respect, trustworthiness, honesty, compassion, and care for one another fail to impede or rather contain the vices deception, cheating, and dishonesty, which unanimously define what infidelity means in and to a relationship (Perel). Love, in its greatness, is the combination of numerous virtues that perceivably symbolize an individual’s affection towards another person. It is the platform upon which relationships leading to marriage or long-term commitments form and that which in its truest form exposes the vulnerabilities of an individual to those with whom they have such feeling or affection (Perel). Nevertheless, the betrayal of such affections could be catastrophic for an individual or a person within a relationship as such commitments take a lot than meets the eye. Such betrayals may take the form of cheating in a relationship through intimate acts of sexual intercourse with a different person other than that with whom a mutually special connection exists, or even emotional dishonesty in confiding to other persons other than those held close to the heart.
Literature Review
The topic of infidelity has over the years received many scholastic and or academic attention through research and other forums in the effort to make an informed understanding of the matter about its causes or influences. Previous and continuous work on the issue of infidelity reveals intricate details about the subject on its definition, manifested in relationships, its rate of occurrence, trigger, and are contributing factors. Naomi Moller and Andreas Vossler’s research study, for instance, provides a platform for understanding the various definitions of infidelity commonly used by researchers and often adopted by members of the society (Moller, pg.1). Moller and Vossler’s article, Defining infidelity in research and couple counseling: A qualitative study, serves to highlight the commonly used definitions of infidelity and the limitations of their use based on the cultural or social construct of a community (Moller, pg.1). The article argues for the inadequacy of the common definitions in addressing the diverse views, perceptions, and beliefs of individuals and the societies at large on matters related to persons in a committed or dyadic relationship. The authors note that the three most used definitions of infidelity involve sex, desire, and emotional attachments.
According to the authors, infidelity may take the form of engaging in sexual intercourse or having sex with other partners outside the dyadic relationship (Moller, pg. 3). Secondly, infidelity may also take the form of expression, sexual desires or intentions through flirting with other individuals outside the committed relations or through a range of sexual behaviors (Moller, pg. 4). Sexual behaviors built from personal desires, including masturbation, watching of pornographic materials, sexual fantasies, enjoying sexual seductions from other partners, kissing, and even a visit to the stripping clubs also constitute the second form of infidelity. Extradyadic sexual behaviors, as commonly known, are often overlooked during many social discussions about infidelity as they are deemed less harmful compared to extramarital sexual interactions. The extradyadic sexual behaviors do not involve engaging in sexual intercourse or sex, but rather an expression of sexual desires for other individuals other than the primary partners. The advance in communication technology contributes to the widespread occurrence of such infidelities owing to the numerous platforms through which such desires can be expressed. Dating other partners through various online platforms, for instance, or exchanging of sexual images also serve as forms of infidelity (Moller, pg. 4).
Thirdly, the qualitative research study article highlights the betrayal of emotional investment or commitment in a relationship as another commonly used definition of infidelity (Moller, pg. 5). Moller and Vossler present the argument for infidelity as being emotionally dependent on other individuals other than the primary partner or outside the dyadic relationship. It is ...