Correlation between love schemas and justifications for extramarital involvement in married women

Considering to adverse consequences of infidelity on couples well-being and longevity of marital relationships, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between love schemas and Justifications for extramarital involvement and affairs in married women.

Method and Materials: 

This was a descriptive-correlation study and the samples included 250 married women who were randomly selected among clients of counseling and cultural centers in Isfahan. The participants completed the Love Schema Scale (LS) and Justifications for Extramarital Involvement Questionnaire (JEIQ). Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Scheffé's post-hoc analysis.

There was a relationship between love schemas and justifications for extramarital involvement, and significant differences were found in justification for extramarital involvement between love schemas (P < 0.001). In general, women with the secure type reported the least endorsement for all the aspects of justification for extramarital involvement (P <0.001).

The results of this study provided exprimental support for utility of model of love schemas in intimate relationships, and indicated the importance of considering the role of love schemas on possibility of extramarital involvement that may have useful implications for determining the couple therapy interventions in this area.