INNOCENT CHEATERS: A NEW SCALE MEASURING THE MORAL DISENGAGEMENT OF MARITAL INFIDELITY

• Autorzy: Lișman Carmen Gabriela , Holman Andrei Corneliu
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Marital infidelity is both socially perceived as immoral and very frequent. This contradiction might be explained through the process of moral disengagement, specifically by the use of certain socially shared moral justifications of infidelity, which consequently foster unfaithful behaviour. This research developed and examined the Infidelity Moral Disengagement Scale (IMDS), aiming to capture the strategies of morally legitimizing infidelity used among people in marital relationships. Across two studies (total N = 609 married participants) we investigated the dimensions and psychometric properties of the IMDS. The results showed that the dominant strategies of legitimizing marital infidelity are the diffusion of responsibility, the attribution of blame on the cheated partner, advantageous comparisons with other immoral acts, justifying infidelity through certain benefits, and minimizing its negative consequences. The IMDS emerged as negatively related to moral identity and strongly associated to people’s past infidelity and to their tendency to engage in unfaithful behaviours.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

MARITAL INFIDELITY; MORAL DISENGAGEMENT; SCALE DEVELOPMENT

• Wydawca: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Studia Psychologica
• Rocznik: 2022
• Tom: 64
• Numer: 2
• Strony: 214 - 227

Twórcy

autor

Lișman Carmen Gabriela

• Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, 3, Toma Cozma Str., Iaşi 700554, Romania,

autor

Holman Andrei Corneliu

Identyfikatory

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2022.02.849