Cited by 210Marriage and Sexual RelationshipsEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAttachment and Relationship Dynamics

Emotional reactions to infidelity

Shackelford, Todd K., LeBlanc, Gregory J., Drass, Elizabeth·2000·Cognition and Emotion

Abstract

We sought to identify emotional reactions to a partner's sexual infidelity and emotional infidelity. In a preliminary study, 53 participants nominated emotional reactions to a partner's sexual and emotional infidelity. In a second study, 655 participants rated each emotion for how likely it was to occur following sexual and emotional infidelity. Principal components analysis revealed 15 emotion components, including Hostile/Vengeful, Depressed, and Sexually aroused. We conducted repeated measures analyses of variance on the 15 components, with participant sex as the between-subjects factor and infidelity type as the within-subjects factor. A main effect for sex obtained for 9 components. For example, men scored higher on Homicidal/Suicidal, whereas women scored higher on Undesirable/Insecure. A main effect for infidelity type obtained for 12 components. For example, participants endorsed Nauseated/Repulsed as more likely to follow sexual infidelity and Undesirable/Insecure as more likely to follow emotional infidelity. Discussion addresses limitations of this research, and highlights the need for an integrative theory of emotional reactions to infidelity.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02699930050117657

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  • Specific emotional manifestations of infidelity-based trauma include feelings of extreme anger, betrayal, insecurity, rage, shame, guilt, jealousy and sadness.

    “Specific emotional manifestations of infidelity-based trauma include feelings of extreme anger, betrayal, insecurity, rage, shame, guilt, jealousy and sadness [24,31,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40].”

    From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [40]

  • Female participants reported greater symptoms of nausea and physical illness when asked to imagine their partner as unfaithful under experimental settings.

    “This is further supported by findings from Shackelford et al., which found that female participants reported greater symptoms of nausea and physical illness when asked to imagine their partner as unfaithful under experimental settings [40].”

    From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [40]

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Authors
Shackelford, T. K., LeBlanc, G. J., & Drass, E.
Affiliations
Florida Atlantic University (US)
Venue
Cognition and Emotion
Published
2000-09
Volume
14
Issue
5
Pages
643-659
ISSN
  • 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-0600
OpenAlex
W2086535278
Cited by
208
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 18
FWCI
9.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Keywords
infidelity, sexual infidelity, emotional infidelity, emotional responses, jealousy, emotion components, sex differences

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