Interactive Pathology of the Spousal Relationship Before and After Husbands' Infidelity

Abstract

The current research was conducted with the aim of examining the interactive pathology of the spousal relationship before and after the infidelity of husbands among affected women in Isfahan in the year it was carried out. The methodology of the present study was qualitative, employing thematic analysis. The population of this research consisted of women harmed by their husbands' infidelity in the city of Isfahan. For sample selection, purposive sampling was used, and ten women affected by their husbands' infidelity were chosen. The instrument of this research included semi-structured interviews, the questions of which were prepared based on the information obtained from the review of texts and sources to identify the interactive damages in the spousal relationship. The interviewing process with participants continued until thematic saturation was achieved. For data analysis, qualitative analysis was performed using thematic analysis method (Clarke & Braun, 2006). The findings of the research indicated that the interactive damages of spouses before and after infidelity encompass twenty-one main categories, which are situated in four domains: intrapersonal damages, interpersonal damages, extra-personal damages, and specific extra-personal damages. Given these results, it can be said that prior to infidelity, damages facilitate the prerequisites for betrayal, and afterwards, they lead to the weakening of the marital relationship.