Predicting Marital Infidelity based on Romantic Jealousy and Violence against Intimate Partner with a Moderating Role of Gender

Abstract

The current study examined the relationship between romantic jealously and intimate partner violence as predictors of marital infidelity, with gender serving as a moderating factor. The research design employed in this study was correlational and utilized regression; data collection was conducted through a survey. In 2021, the population of Shiraz city consisted of all married individuals who were residents. Purposive sampling was utilized to select a sample of 197 individuals, of which 89 were women and 108 were males. The participants completed the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS), Questionnaire to Measuring Wife Abuse (QMWA), and the Infidelity Scale (IS). The data were subjected to analysis utilizing the Pearson correlation coefficient and SPSS-26 software for regression. Positive and significant predictive power (p<0/01) was found for both romantic resentment and violence against an intimate partner in relation to marital infidelity, according to the study’s findings. On the other hand, findings indicated that gender can be substantiated as a moderating factor in the correlation between intimate partner violence, marital infidelity, and romantic jealously. In general, the findings suggested that romantic jealously and intimate partner violence could serve as robust indicators of marital infidelity. Nevertheless, gender may exert a moderating influence on this matter. The fact that males account for a greater proportion of the variance in marital infidelity than women may suggest that men are less reluctant to disclose such affairs. It can be argued that marital infidelity among males is generally more socially acceptable than that of women.

Keywords

• gender
• marital infidelity
• romantic jealousy
• violence against intimate partner