1 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK IN PRAGUE Department of Psychology The Effect of Infidelity in the Workplace on Life Satisfaction among Different Attachment Styles Master Thesis Supervisor: Submitted by: Vartan Agopian, PhD. Vladislava Vaverová Prague, April 2021 2 Declaration I hereby declare that I wrote this thesis individually based on literature and resources stated in references section. In Prague: 26 April 2021 Signature: 3 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my thesis supervisor, Dr. Vartan Agopian greatly for his support and guidance in completing this thesis with me. Words cannot express how much I owe him for his constant encouragement and motivation throughout this journey. Special thanks to my partner and family and friends for supporting me mentally and emotionally throughout the journey in finishing this thesis. 4 Abstract This study was designed to examine the effect of infidelity in the workplace on life satisfaction among different attachment styles. Specifically, this research investigated the effects of group of people working in corporate companies and their life satisfaction and infidelity in workplace. The study also examined the significant differences of infidelity and different attachment styles. One hundred and twenty-six participants attended to fill up the questionnaires to measure the effect of infidelity with adult attachment style and life satisfaction. The goal of this research was to find out relationship, connection, and the effect of infidelity on life satisfaction. Results showed that higher scores of secure attachments will predict higher levels of life satisfaction, while higher scores of anxious attachments will predict lower levels of life satisfaction, they also confirmed that infidelity and anxious attachment style will predict lower life satisfaction. On the other hand, results did not show relationship between prediction of higher level of infidelity and lower level of life satisfaction and that life satisfaction will be lowest among those who are faithful but have unfaithful partners. Keywords: infidelity, love affair at workplace, satisfaction with life, gender, attachment style, quality of life, attachment and infidelity, cheating experience. 5 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 7 2 Literature Review ................................................................................................. 13 2.1 Infidelity ......................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 History of Infidelity ..................................................................................... 14 2.1.2 Types of Infidelity ........................................................................................ 15 2.1.3 Infidelity at Work ........................................................................................ 18 2.1.4 Reasons for Infidelity .................................................................................. 19 2.1.5 Gender and Infidelity .................................................................................. 23 2.1.6 Age .............................................................................................................. 25 2.2 Life Satisfaction and Infidelity .................................................................... 27 2.3 Impact of Infidelity on Individuals and Relationships .............................. 28 2.4 Attachment .................................................................................................... 30 2.4.1 Attachment Styles ........................................................................................ 31 2.4.2 Adult Attachment Style ................................................................................ 32 2.5 Workplace Romance Motives ...................................................................... 34 2.5.1 Factors Predicting the Decision to Engage in a Workplace Romance ...... 36 2.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 38 2.7 Research Questions and Hypothesis ........................................................... 38 3 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 40 3.1 Research Design ............................................................................................ 40 3.2 Participants .................................................................................................... 42 3.3 Material .......................................................................................................... 44 3.3.1 Adult Attachment Scale ............................................................................... 44 3.3.2 Satisfaction with Life Scale ......................................................................... 46 3.3.3 Perceptions of Dating Infidelity Scale ........................................................ 48 3.4 Ethics .............................................................................................................. 49 3.5 Procedure ....................................................................................................... 50 3.6 Data Analysis ................................................................................................. 51 4 Results .................................................................................................................... 52 4.1 Demographic Variables ................................................................................ 52 4.2 Descriptive Statistics and Normality ........................................................... 56 4.3 Testing of Hypotheses ................................................................................... 57 6 5 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 68 5.1 Summary of Findings ................................................................................... 72 5.2 Discussion of the Results of the Hypotheses ............................................... 73 6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 75 6.1 Limitations ..................................................................................................... 77 6.2 Recommendations for Future Research ..................................................... 78 References ...................................................................................................................... 79 Appendicies .................................................................................................................... 91 Appendix A ................................................................................................................ 91 Informed Contest Form ........................................................................................... 91 Appendix B ................................................................................................................ 93 Demographics questionnaire ................................................................................... 93 Appendix C ................................................................................................................ 94 Perceptions of Dating Infidelity Scale .................................................................... 94 Appendix D ................................................................................................................ 95 Satisfaction with Life Scale .................................................................................... 95 Appendix E ................................................................................................................ 96 Adult Attachment Scale .......................................................................................... 96 Appendix F ................................................................................................................ 97 Figures .................................................................................................................... 97 7 1 Introduction The issue of partner infidelity and life satisfaction is not only being addressed in the media, but more and more people are encountering this phenomenon in their daily lives. People want to be life without hurting others. However, whether it is we who have been affected by an unpleasant event, or one of our acquaintances or friends, it can be said that there is always a person in our environment who has some experience with infidelity. It is not specific to a certain group of people; infidelity affects a wide range of people. Infidelity is not only happening today, as it might seem, but on the contrary, it has occurred since the beginning of human life. Throughout history, infidelity has been more or less tolerated. For example, the mistresses of the French kings are very well known, the most famous being the mistresses of Louis XIV or Louis XVI of the Bourbon family. The mistresses of the French kings were usually not kept secret from the public; on the contrary, it was a virtue and a highness to be the king's mistress (Cotton, 2019). Another interesting case in history was the English King Henry VIII, to whom Pope Clement VII did not allow divorce, and in response he tore England away from the Catholic Church and established his own church.