Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Communication Studies

Committee Chair

Megan R. Dillow.

Committee Co-Chair

Maria Brann

Committee Member

Keith Weber

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of communicative infidelity (CI) motives on relationship outcomes. CI motives include jealousy, vengefulness, sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation, while outcomes included forgiveness, reparation, voice, exit, loyalty, and neglect responses. Additionally, this study tested the relationship of commitment and satisfaction to relational outcomes. Participants were 215 undergraduate students currently involved in a romantic relationship. Participants were instructed to answer questions measuring their commitment and satisfaction levels, as well as read and respond to a CI scenario. Results indicated that commitment is positively related to voice responses and negatively related to neglect responses, while satisfaction is negatively related to neglect responses. Results also revealed that commitment and satisfaction are negatively related to forgiveness by minimizing. Additionally, significant differences were found in the ways that men and women respond following the discovery of a partner's transgression. Specifically, men reported reacting to the discovery of a partner's CI with more exit and neglect responses and less voice responses than women. Finally, both sexes rated all CI motives as relatively unacceptable.

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