The study of personality characteristics of male infidelity: A qualitative study

Extramarital affair as a growing crisis in Iran, is accompanied with serious damages in dimensions of individual, couple, family and social and has an important role on the family dissolution and couple' divorce. The purpose of current study was the qualitative study of the personality characteristics of men with infidelity (extramarital affair).The present study carried out by the qualitative method and the phenomenological approach. The statistical population of this study consisted of all infidelity men (extramarital affair) of Shahindej city that after identifying a large number of them by the researcher (identified persons either were familiar with researcher or were identified by introduction of the friends), that among them 8 men were selected using purposive sampling method to attend in the research and were interviewed. All the interviews were tape-recorded and then transcribed verbatim and finally analyzed through method of interpretive analysis of Diekelmann, Allen, & Tanner. 8 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzing the data from interviews led to the identification of 210 primary code (important statements), 35 sub-themes and 6 central theme Including (sexual diversity demanding, low self-confidence, lack of religious commitment , weakness or lack of consciousness, avoidant attachment and sensation seeking). Data analysis of the study led to identifying of six personality characteristics of the infidelity men that is influential in their tendency toward extramarital affair, Therefore, these results can be used to develop programs for educating young couples and prevent from the occurence of extramarital affair crisis.