1. Background
Objectives
Methods
Results Results
Discussion
References
Although not everyone would define infidelity the
same way (Moller & Vossler, 2014), many behaviors
could be considered as hurtful as sexual infidelity, such
as deception and emotional infidelity. Generally, men
view sexual infidelity as worse, whereas women view
emotional infidelity as more hurtful (Buss, Larsen,
Westen & Semmelroth, 1992). Therefore, the same
pattern may appear when men and women rate
behaviors not traditionally seen as infidelity.
This study compared the different views of males and
females about everyday behaviors in relationships that
may be described as infidelity. Males were expected to
rate the behaviors as more acceptable than females.
Participants (N = 33 women and 10 men) were recruited
from Penn State Berks Psychology classes and social
media. They completed an online survey in which they
rated various hypothetical partner behaviors.
The limited number of participants did not produce
sufficient statistical power to support or disprove my
hypothesis regarding gender differences.
However, young adults in this sample had more
negative views of their partner’s hypothetical sexual
infidelity than emotional infidelity or deception,
despite the fact that the latter also constitute a breach
of trust, and can also be harmful to the romantic bond
(Berger &Bridges, 2002).
A study conducted on a larger sample is needed to
examine gender differences and provide a more
nuanced picture of how romantic partners’ behaviors
and potential infidelity are perceived.
• Berger, R. M., & Bridges, A. J. (2002). The Significance of Heavy Pornography Involvement for
Romantic Partners: Research and Clinical Implications. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 23, 193-
206. doi:10.1080/009262302760328235
• Buss, D. M., Larsen, R. J., Westen, D., & Semmelroth, J. (1992). Sex differences in jealousy:
Evolution, physiology, and psychology. Psychological Science, 3(4), 251-255.
• Moller, N., & Vossler, A. (2014). Defining Infidelity in Research and Couple Counseling: A
Qualitative Study.Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 41, 489-497. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2014.931314
The mean age of participants was 20 years (SD = 1.99). Fifty-
eight percent of participants were currently in a serious
relationship, while sixty-eight percent had been in a serious
relationship at some point in their life.
There were no significant gender differences for ratings of
the acceptability of Sexual, Emotional and Deception,
F(1,40) = 0.010, p = .921, η2
p <.001. Gender did not interact
with the type of behavior, F(2,80) = 1.347, p =.266, η2
p =
.033.
There was a main effect of behavior type, F(2,80) = 60.051, p
<.001, η2
p = .600. Specifically, participants viewed sexual
infidelity behaviors as more unacceptable than emotional
infidelity, t(42) = 5.456, p <.001, d = 0.83. Participants also
viewed emotional infidelity as more unacceptable than
deception, t(42) = 8.637, p <.001, d = 1.32.
Perceptions of Relationship Behaviors
Rachel Stoneback
The Pennsylvania State University, Berks
CATEGORIES OF BEHAVIOR
Sexual: porn, sex-toys, strip-clubs, sexting, media-nudity
Emotional: flirting, social-media, checking-out
Deception: lying, being secretive, maintaining a dating profile