Formulation The Model of Extramarital Relationships based on Early Maladaptive Schemas and Marital Intimacy Mediated by Cognitive Flexibility

Extramarital affairs have devastating impacts on married couples leading to separation and divorce. The purpose of the present study is to formulate the model of extramarital relationships in accordance with early maladaptive schemas and marital intimacy mediated by cognitive flexibility among men.

In this descriptive correlated research, two hundred and fifty men with extramarital affairs visiting psychological counseling center in Tehran during first half of 1400 A.H, are selected by convenience sampling method. The data is collected from the questionnaires of Young’s Schema Therapy (1998), Yeniceri and Kokdemir’s Infidelity (2006), Walker and Thompson’s Intimacy and Intergenerational aid and contact among mothers and daughters (2007), Denis and Vander Wal’s the Cognitive Flexibility and Inventory (2010). The obtained data was analyzed by utilizing structural equation modeling method in statistical software of AMOS 24 and SPSS 27.

The assumed research model meets the requirements of experimental data (RMSEA=0/056). Direct coefficient path between early maladaptive schemas (B= 0/137) and marital intimacy (B= 0/287) was in significant model with extramarital relationships (P<0/05). Direct coefficient path among early maladaptive schemas (B=0/21) and marital intimacy (B=0/47) was significant with cognitive flexibility (P<0/05). In addition, indirect coefficient path of maladaptive schemas in extramarital affairs was gained through significant flexibility while no significant indirect coefficient path was observed between marital intimacy and extramarital affairs via flexibility (P>0/05).

Early maladaptive schemas and marital intimacy were related to extramarital affairs through mediated variable of cognitive flexibility. Thus, extramarital relationships can be reduced via decreasing early maladaptive schemas and increasing both marital intimacy and cognitive flexibility.