Money lies and extramarital ties: Predicting separate and joint occurrences of financial deception and extramarital infidelity
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: Although spouses frequently financially deceive each other (MFD; i.e., marital financial deception), few studies have examined this relationship behavior. The purpose of our study is to examine predictors of separate and joint occurrences of MFD and extramarital affairs (EMI). We chose the predictors we tested using social exchange theory (SET). Methods: We used a national sample of married individuals and multinomial logistic regression analyses to examine how different predictors were associated with membership in three different groups (MFD with no EMI, EMI with no MFD, and both MFD and EMI) relative to the group of participants who reported neither behaviors. Results: Relationship satisfaction was associated with a lower likelihood of being in the MFD-only group, moral commitment was negatively associated with membership in both EMI groups, and personal dedication commitment was negatively associated with membership in both MFD groups. Flirting with someone other than one’s spouse was positively associated with being in all three groups relative to the reference group. The personal importance of religion was not associated with group membership. Discussion: Moral commitment, personal dedication commitment, and flirting with someone other than one’s spouse predicted these two types of marital deception. It is likely that other issues that affect marital outcomes, comparisons, and monitoring alternatives to the relationship may predict MFD and/or EMI.
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Remaining in the marriage is negatively associated with extramarital infidelity and possibly financial marital deception.
“To remain in the marriage was found to be negatively associated with EMI and possibly MFD.”
From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [87]
Personal dedication commitment (marital stability and trust) is negatively associated with financial marital deception.
“Recent research about MFD and EMI found that personal dedication commitment (in the form of marital stability and trust of one’s partner) is negatively associated with MFD [87].”
From Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences (2023) · cites this paper as [87]
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- Authors
- Dew, J. P., Saxey, M. T., & Mettmann, A.
- Affiliations
- Brigham Young University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dew, Jeffrey P.
- Venue
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2022-11-22
- Volume
- 13
- Pages
- 1038169-1038169
- ISSN
- 1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9722948
- OpenAlex
- W4309699775
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Brigham Young University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Deception detection and forensic psychology
- Keywords
- adultery, social exchange theory, moral commitment, relationship satisfaction, flirting, married couples
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