Sexual Transgressions in CouplesThe Influence of Dependence and Commitment on their Perception and Handling

  1. Marta Garrido-Macías 1
  2. Inmaculada Valor-Segura 1
  3. Francisca Expósito 1
  1. 1 Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Revista:
The Spanish Journal of Psychology

ISSN: 1138-7416

Año de publicación: 2020

Número: 23

Páginas: 1-11

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1017/SJP.2020.25 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: The Spanish Journal of Psychology

Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible

Resumen

Transgressions occur frequently in romantic relationships, and how they are perceived is influenced by the type of transgression that occurred. By means of an experimental study of 399 participants (75.9% women and 24.1% men) aged 18 to 64 years old (Mage = 31.20, SD = 10.48), we examined the relationship between the type of sexual transgression (infidelity versus coercion), and perceived severity, strategies individuals would use in response to the transgression, and the probability they would leave the relationship, as well as levels of dependence and commitment. Results revealed higher perceived severity (p < .001, η2p = .24) and probability of leaving the relationship (p < .001, η2p = .39) in the infidelity scenario (versus coercion). Meanwhile, women (compared to men) rated sexual transgressions as more severe (p < .001, η2p = .04) and reported a higher probability of leaving the relationship (p < .001, η2p = .03), as well as a higher use of active conflict resolution strategies (exit, p = .048, η2p = .01, and voice, p < .001, η2p = .06) and lower use of passive strategies (loyalty, p < .001, η2p = .08). Finally, high levels of commitment and dependence predicted lower perceived severity (commitment, p < .001, 95% CI [–.72, –.20]; dependence, p < .001, 95% CI [–1.73, –.85]) and lower probability of leaving the relationship (commitment, p = .048, 95% CI [–.55, –.01]; dependence, p < .001, 95% CI [–1.66, –.73]) in coercion (versus infidelity) transgressions. These results highlight the normalization of sexual coercion in romantic relationships, which is not viewed as negatively as infidelity, and that commitment and dependence contribute to minimizing the negative impressions of it.

€ Ver financiación

Información de financiación

This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion to the first author [Ref.FPU14-02905], and the financing provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Industria, Econom?a y Competitivad [Ref.PSI2017-84703-R; Ref. PSI-2017-83966-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE)].

Financiadores

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Arriaga, X. B., & Capezza, N. M. (2011). The paradox of partner aggression: Being committed to an aggressive partner. In Mikulincer, M. & Shaver, P. (Eds.), Understanding and reducing aggression and their consequences (pp. 367–383). American Psychological Association.
  • Beltrán-Morillas, A. M., Valor-Segura, I., & Expósito, F. (2015). El perdón ante transgresiones en las relaciones interpersonales [Forgiveness for transgressions in interpersonal relationships]. Psychosocial Intervention, 24(2), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psi.2015.05.001
  • Beltrán-Morillas, A. M., Valor-Segura, I., & Expósito, F. (2019a). Partner-specific dependency and guilt as predictors of forgiveness in Spanish university women. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 22, E19. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2019.19
  • Beltrán-Morillas, A. M., Valor-Segura, I., & Expósito, F. (2019b). Unforgiveness motivations in romantic relationships experiencing infidelity: Negative affect and anxious attachment to the partner as predictors. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article e434. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00434
  • Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Brown, A. L., Testa, M., & Messman-Moore, T. L. (2009). Psychological consequences of sexual victimization resulting from force, incapacitation, or verbal coercion. Violence Against Women, 15, 898–919. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801209335491
  • DeGue, S., & DiLillo, D. (2005). “You would if you loved me”: Toward an improved conceptual and etiological understanding of nonphysical male sexual coercion. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10, 513–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2004.09.001
  • Dillow, M. R., Malachowski, C. C., Brann, M., & Weber, K. D. (2011). An experimental examination of the effects of communicative infidelity motives on communication and relational outcomes in romantic relationships. Western Journal of Communication, 75, 473–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2011.588986
  • Finkel, E. J., Rusbult, C. E., Kumashiro, M., & Hannon, P. A. (2002). Dealing with betrayal in close relationships: Does commitment promote forgiveness? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 956–974. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.956
  • Garrido-Macías, M., Valor-Segura, I., & Expósito, F. (2017). ¿Dejaría a mi pareja? Influencia de la severidad de la transgresión, la satisfacción y compromiso en la toma de decisión [Would I leave my partner? Influence of the transgression’s severity, satisfaction and commitment on decision making]. Psychosocial Intervention, 26, 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psi.2016.12.001
  • Garrido-Macías, M., Valor-Segura, I., & Expósito, F. (2020). Which tactics of sexual violence predict leaving the relationship? The role of dependence towards partner. The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.5093/ejpalc2020a6
  • Garrido-Macías, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2020). Women are not swayed by sugar-coated acts of sexual coercion. Personal Relationships, 27, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12314
  • Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
  • Heintzelman, A., Murdock, N. L., Krycak, R. C., & Seay, L. (2014). Recovery from infidelity: Differentiation of self, trauma, forgiveness, and posttraumatic growth among couples in continuing relationships. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 3, 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000016
  • Jonker, I. E., Sijbrandij, M., & Wolf, J. R. L. M. (2012). Toward needs profiles of shelter-based abused women: Latent class approach. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 36, 38–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684311413553
  • Katz, J., Moore, J. A., & Tkachuk, S. (2007). Verbal sexual coercion and perceived victim responsibility: Mediating effects of perceived control. Sex Roles, 57, 235–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9253-x
  • Krahé, B., Berger, A., Vanwesenbeeck, I., Bianchi, G., Chliaoutakis, J., Fernández-Fuertes, A. A., Fuertes, A., Gaspar de Matos, M., Hadjigeorgiou, E., Haller, B., Hellemans, S., Izdebski, Z., Kouta, C., Meijnckens, D., Murauskiene, L., Papadakaki, M., Ramiro, L., Reis, M., Symons, K., Tomaszewska, P., … Hellemans, S. (2015). Prevalence and correlates of young people's sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in 10 European countries: A multi-level analysis. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 17, 682–699. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2014.989265
  • Messing, J. T., Campbell, J., Sullivan Wilson, J., Brown, S., & Patchell, B. (2017). The lethality screen: The predictive validity of an intimate partner violence risk assessment for use by first responders. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32, 205–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515585540
  • Metts, S., & Cupach, W. R. (2007). Responses to relational transgressions: Hurt, anger, and sometimes forgiveness. In Spitzberg, B. H. & Cupach, W. R. (Eds.), The dark side of interpersonal communication (pp. 243–274). Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Okutan, N., Buyuksahin Sunal, A., & Sakalli Ugurlu, N. (2017). Comparing heterosexuals’ and gay men/lesbians’ responses to relationship problems and the effects of internalized homophobia on gay men/lesbians’ responses to relationship problems in Turkey. Journal of Homosexuality, 64, 218–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2016.1174028
  • Overall, N. C., Sibley, C. G., & Travaglia, L. K. (2010). Loyal but ignored: The benefits and costs of constructive communication behavior. Personal Relationships, 17, 127–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01257.x
  • Ruppel, E. K., & Curran, M. A. (2012). Relational sacrifices in romantic relationships: Satisfaction and the moderating role of attachment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29, 508–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407511431190
  • Rusbult, C. E., Martz, J. M., & Agnew, C. R. (1998). The Investment Model Scale: Measuring commitment level, satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Personal Relationships, 5, 357–391. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1998.tb00177.x
  • Salwen, J. K., & O’Leary, K. D. (2013). Adjustment problems and maladaptive relational style: A mediational model of sexual coercion in intimate relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28, 1969–1988. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260512471079
  • Shackelford, T. K., & Goetz, A. T. (2004). Men’s sexual coercion in intimate relationships: Development and initial validation of the Sexual Coercion in Intimate Relationships Scale. Violence and Victims, 19, 541–556. http://doi.org/10.1891/vivi.19.5.541.63681
  • Stolarski, M., Postek, S., & Smieja, M. (2011). Emotional intelligence and conflict resolution strategies in romantic heterosexual couples. Studia Psychologiczne, 49, 65–76. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10167-010-0041-9
  • Tan, K., Arriaga, X. B., & Agnew, C. R. (2018). Running on empty: Measuring psychological dependence in close relationships lacking satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35, 977–998. http://doi.org/10.1177/0265407517702010
  • Thompson, A. E., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2016). Drawing the line: The development of a comprehensive assessment of infidelity judgments. The Journal of Sex Research, 53, 910–926. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1062840
  • Valor-Segura, I., Expósito, F., & Moya, M. (2009). Desarrollo y validación de la versión española de la Spouse-Specific Dependency Scale (SSDS) [Development and validation of the Spanish version of the Spouse-Specific Dependency Scale (SSDS)]. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 9(3), 479–500.
  • Valor-Segura, I., Garrido-Macías, M., & Lozano, L. M. (2020). Adaptation of the Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale (ARCS) to the Spanish population. Psicothema, 32(1), 145–152. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2019.123
  • Young, B. J., & Furman, W. (2013). Predicting commitment in young adults’ physically aggressive and sexually coercive dating relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28, 3245–3264. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513496897
  • Watkins, S. J., & Boon, S. D. (2016). Expectations regarding partner infidelity in dating relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33, 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407515574463
  • Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of motivation for some classroom experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.71.1.3
  • Weiser, D. A., & Weigel, D. J. (2014). Testing a model of communication responses to relationship infidelity. Communication Quarterly, 62, 416–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2014.922482
  • Whisman, M. A., & Snyder, D. K. (2007). Sexual infidelity in a national survey of American women: Differences in prevalence and correlates as a function of method of assessment. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 147–154. http://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.2.147
Fuente de los datos: Dialnet