Citation

Warach B, Josephs L, Gorman BS. J. Sex Marital Ther. 2018; 44(5): 497-512.

Affiliation

Adelphi University Gordon F Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies , Garden City , 11530-0701 United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/0092623X.2017.1416434

PMID

29240538

Abstract

This study employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine the interrelationships between the self-serving bias and various known predictors of infidelity. Specifically, we sought to generate a path model depicting how the following variables jointly predict sexual infidelity perpetration: (1) insecure attachment, (2) pathological narcissism, (3) sexual narcissism, (4) primary psychopathy, (5) self-serving attributions for retaliatory infidelity, and (6) sexual betrayal victimization. We developed a structural model describing various pathways to sexual infidelity perpetration based on these six variables. Three pathways to infidelity were discovered. In the first pathway, anxious and avoidant attachment predicted primary psychopathy, and self-justification for retaliatory infidelity mediated the relationship between primary psychopathy and infidelity perpetration. In the second pathway, anxious attachment predicted sexual narcissism, which predicted self-justification for retaliatory infidelity, which in turn predicted infidelity perpetration. In the third pathway, being a victim of sexual betrayal directly predicted sexual infidelity perpetration. In fact, suffering sexual betrayal was the best predictor of sexual infidelity perpetration. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

attachment style; primary psychopathy; self-serving bias; sexual betrayal; sexual infidelity; sexual narcissism; structural equation modeling