Judgments of Event Centrality as Predictors of Post-Traumatic Growth and Post-Traumatic Stress after Infidelity: The Moderating Effect of Relationship Form

Infidelity, a betrayal within a romantic partnership, often violates a person’s core beliefs about themselves and their significant other and can influence the degree to which a person can feel safe in romantic relationships. Infidelity can also increase exposure to sexually transmitted diseases that can compromise physical and mental health. Therefore, infidelity can be judged as central to one’s identity and potentially traumatic, possibly triggering outcomes similar to other DSM-5 Criterion A traumas. The current research examines the contribution of centrality perceptions to the development of PTG and PTS post-infidelity. Bivariate regressions examined the relationships between the judged centrality of infidelity and PTG and PTS, respectively. Exploratory analyses considered the moderating role of relationship form (i.e., casually dating, exclusively dating, and engaged/married) on those relationships. In a sample of 177 adults, greater judgments of the centrality of infidelity were associated with both PTG and PTS. Results demonstrated a significant moderating effect of relationship form on the relationship between the centrality of infidelity and PTG but not between the centrality of infidelity and PTS. Moderation results demonstrated that if infidelity is considered central in a casually dating relationship, it is more strongly related to PTG than in other relationship forms. Considering infidelity as central may generate both beneficial and problematic post-traumatic outcomes. However, an early infidelity experience may provide increased opportunities for engagement in different behaviors in the future (e.g., selecting a different partner, setting different relational boundaries), which, in turn, may be more conducive to growth.