The Effects of Infidelity and Interparental Conflict on Predominantly Female Adult Children: a Contextual Perspective
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE EFFECTS OF INFIDELITY AND INTERPARENTAL CONFLICT ON PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE ADULT CHILDREN: A CONTEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SCIENCES COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION BY ALEXANDRA E. SCHMIDT, B.A. DENTON, TX MAY 2013 DEDICATION For my mother, Julie. Thank you for reminding me to find joy in the little pennies of joy that life gives us. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS While there are countless people who have supported me throughout this process, a few deserve special recognition. To my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Mary Sue Green, thank you for consistently challenging me to become a better researcher. From the moment we first met, I knew that your mentorship would be a highlight of my graduate experience, and I am so thankful my initial impression was right. Thank you for sharing your contagious energy and enthusiasm for research with me. To Dr. Linda Brock and Dr. Rhonda Buckley, thank you so much for your helpful suggestions. I am also incredibly thankful to my internship supervisor, Connie Cornwell. Thank you for sharing your countless bits of wisdom and encouragement to always be curious. Without friends’ support, this process would have been much more difficult. To Tara, Ciara, Perry, Amy, Hilary, Erica, Kelly, Tracy, Kerri, Kaitlin, Andrea, and Allan, thank you for encouraging me and reminding me to engage in self-care. I am in awe of the ways each of you teaches me to be a more loving and authentic person every day. To Jack Crowder, the teacher who first ignited my passion for studying human relationships, thank you for being such a great motivator. I am truly blessed to call you a friend. And finally, to my beloved family, especially my mom, my brother Matthew, my grandparents, and my Aunt Mary: words cannot express how deeply I appreciate your support. Thank you for sharing in my joys, my sorrows, my frustrations, and my excitement. I am so proud to be part of our family legacy of resiliency and quiet courage. iv ABSTRACT ALEXANDRA E. SCHMIDT THE EFFECTS OF INFIDELITY AND INTERPARENTAL CONFLICT ON PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE ADULT CHILDREN: A CONTEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE MAY 2013 Despite family therapy’s systemic principles, limited research addresses the impact of infidelity outside the couple sub-system. Since infidelity is often associated with conflict within the couple relationship, children may experience indirect consequences of parental infidelity that are more directly related to interparental conflict. The purpose of this exploratory quantitative study using the lens of contextual therapy was to gain more information about the relationship between interparental conflict and infidelity, focusing on vertical relationships between adult children and parents and on horizontal relationships between adult children and their partners. Results indicated that increased interparental conflict and the occurrence of mothers’ and fathers’ infidelity predicted lower vertical relational ethics. Fathers’ infidelity predicted decreased horizontal relational ethics; mothers’ and participants’ infidelities were not significant. The occurrence of adult children’s own infidelity partially mediated the relationship between fathers’ infidelity and horizontal relational ethics. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................... 2 Statement of Purpose ................................................................................................. 3 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................. 4 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................................ 7 Contextual Therapy .................................................................................................... 7 The Four Dimensions ......................................................................................... 7 Assumptions of the Theory ................................................................................ 9 Therapeutic Practice ......................................................................................... 11 Applications of Contextual Therapy ................................................................ 15 Infidelity, Relational Conflict, and Parent-Child Relationships .............................. 16 Relational Conflict and Infidelity ..................................................................... 16 vi Relational Conflict and Children ...................................................................... 21 Parental Infidelity and Children ....................................................................... 27 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 28 III. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 31 Assumptions ............................................................................................................. 31 Participants ............................................................................................................... 32 Procedure ................................................................................................................. 32 Measures .................................................................................................................. 34 Perceptions of Interparental Conflict-Intensity/Frequency Scale (PIC-I/F) ..... 34 Relational Ethics Scale (RES) .......................................................................... 35 Hypotheses ............................................................................................................... 37 Plan of Analysis ....................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 41 IV. RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 42 Description of the Sample ........................................................................................ 43 General Demographics ..................................................................................... 43 Parental and Familial Relationships ................................................................. 45 Parental Infidelity ............................................................................................. 46 Participants’ Relationships ............................................................................... 50 Participants’ Infidelity ...................................................................................... 50 Relationships between Demographics and Measures .............................................. 51 Interparental Conflict ....................................................................................... 53 Total Relational Ethics ..................................................................................... 55 vii Vertical Relationships .............................................................................................. 57 Race .................................................................................................................. 57 Parents’ Relationship Status ............................................................................. 58 Religious Preference ......................................................................................... 60 Age ................................................................................................................... 61 Education and Sex ............................................................................................ 61 Vertical Regression Analysis ................................................................................... 61 Vertical Trust and Justice ................................................................................. 62 Vertical Loyalty ................................................................................................ 66 Vertical Entitlement ......................................................................................... 69 Total Vertical Relational Ethics ....................................................................... 72 Horizontal Relationships .......................................................................................... 78 Race .................................................................................................................