A Comparative Study of Marital Incompatibility, Coping Strategies and Emotional Schemas in Applicants for Divorce with and without Marital Infidelity History

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare marital incompatibility, coping strategies and emotional schemas in applicants for divorce with and without marital infidelity history in Tehran. The research is an applied causal-comparative study. The statistical population of the research included all applicants for divorce with and without marital infidelity history in the city of Tehran who visited counseling centers in different areas of Tehran during the last three months of 2021. Participants were 60 people selected by accessible sampling method. The selected people were divided and matched into two groups of 30 people (15 women and 15 men) with a history of infidelity and 30 people (15 women and 15 men) without a history of infidelity. Research data were collected by Leahy Emotional Schema Questionnaire, Lazarus and Folkman coping strategies questionnaire and Beier-Sternberg Discord Questionnaire (DQ). The results showed that there is a difference between the two groups with and without a history of marital infidelity in emotional schema, coping strategies and marital incompatibility. The findings have useful implications for psychologists and family counselors in counseling cases of marital infidelity.

Keywords

• emotional schema
• coping strategies
• marital incompatibility
• marital infidelity