Association Between Marital Infidelity Based on Fear of Intimacy and Self-differentiation Through the Mediating Role of Sexual Satisfaction in Women with Marital Conflict

Marital infidelity is regarded as a behavioral disorder with undesirable impacts that leads to considerable damages and problems for both the betraying and betrayed spouses. The present study aimed to investigate the association between marital infidelity based on fear of intimacy and self-differentiation through the mediating role of sexual satisfaction in women with marital conflict.

This study was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study population included all women with marital conflict visiting the consulting centers in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2021. A total of 144 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), the Attitudes Toward Infidelity Scale, the Fear-of-Intimacy Scale (FIS), and the Differentiation of Self Inventory-Revised (DSI-R). The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient as an inferential statistical test, and SEM.

The results revealed that all direct paths to marital infidelity were significant (P < 0.001), except self-differentiation. In addition, there was an indirect relationship between fear of intimacy and infidelity as well as self-differentiation and infidelity through the mediating role of sexual satisfaction (P < 0.001).

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that fear of intimacy and self-differentiation can predict marital infidelity through the mediation of sexual satisfaction. Therefore, family counselors should take these factors into account to reduce the psychological problems of women experiencing marital conflict and improve their marital relationships.