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Understanding Infidelity Forgiveness: An Application of Implicit Theories of Relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2020

Ashley E. Thompson Open the ORCID record for Ashley E. Thompson [Opens in a new window] ,
Dallas Capesius ,
Danica Kulibert  and
Randi A. Doyle
Ashley E. Thompson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Dallas Capesius
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Danica Kulibert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
Randi A. Doyle
Affiliation:
School of Social Sciences at Minerva Schools at KGI, San Francisco, California, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Ashley E. Thompson, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1207 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN, USA. Email: thompsoa@d.umn.edu
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Abstract

Two studies were conducted to identify variables associated with hypothetical infidelity forgiveness and promote forgiveness by manipulating implicit theories of relationships (ITRs; destiny/growth beliefs). Study 1 assessed the relationship between the type of behaviour, sex of the forgiver, ITRs and infidelity forgiveness. Study 2 investigated the causal relationship between ITRs and infidelity forgiveness (including attachment insecurity as a moderator). Results revealed that male participants forgave a partner's infidelity to a greater extent than female participants and that solitary behaviours were rated as most forgivable, followed by emotional/affectionate and technology/online behaviours, and sexual/explicit behaviours as least forgivable. Male participants (not female participants) induced to endorse growth beliefs forgave a partner's emotional/affectionate and solitary infidelity to a greater extent than those induced to endorse destiny beliefs; attachment insecurity moderated this relationship. These results have important implications for researchers and practitioners working with couples in distress.

Keywords

infidelity forgivenessimplicit theories of relationshipsromantic attachmentgender differences
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 11 , 2020 , e2
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2020

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