Defining Infidelity
A sexual and/or emotional act within a committed relationship that violates agreed-upon norms of exclusivity.
What is infidelity?
Difficulty managing intense emotions following infidelity is often described as this.
What is emotional dysregulation?
The idea that individuals in a family are interconnected and influence one another is central to this theory.
What is family systems theory?
Mediation focuses on building workable agreements rather than assigning this to the parties involved.
What is blame?
This type of involvement outside a relationship is often the most commonly recognized form of infidelity.
What is sexual involvement?
Repeated unwanted thoughts or feelings about the betrayal after infidelity are known as this psychological symptom.
What are intrusive thoughts and trust issues?
After infidelity occurs, families may experience higher levels of this within the household.
What is household tension?
If a mediator lacks personal boundaries, takes sides due to their own personal history, or has intensive feelings and reactions towards one party, they are likely committing this.
What is countertransference?
Secret texting, flirting, or messaging someone outside the relationship may fall under this type of infidelity.
What are online or digital boundary violations?
Researchers often describe a partner's sense of safety and attachment in the relationship disrupted by infidelity as this.
What is an attachment injury?
This occurs when a child acts as a messenger, buffer, or ally between the two conflicting parents.
What is triangulation?
This type of responsibility of the mediator is to remain unbiased while helping both individuals communicate their perspectives during the mediation process.
What is neutrality?
This type of infidelity occurs when one partner develops romantic or intimacy attachment outside the relationship without sexual contact.
What is emotional infidelity?
Constantly watching for signs of further betrayal or danger after infidelity is known as this.
What is hypervigilance?
Derived from family systems theory, this concept occurs when both parties believe they are not at fault, and actions are seen as interconnected in a continuous loop.
What is circular causality?
In mediation involving infidelity and children, mediators often emphasize protecting the wellbeing of this group above relational conflict?
Who are the children?
This rule suggests that people often betray a partner who satisfies most of their needs, yet chase what is missing through an affair.
What is the 80/20 rule in infidelity?
When someone repeatedly thinks about the betrayal and struggles to stop replaying it in their mind, this process is occurring.
What is rumination?
This model suggests that low relationship satisfaction, high conflict, and poor communication can increase risks of infidelity.
What is the deficit model?
A mediator's role in infidelity-related disputes is not to fix the relationship, but to help couples create these practical outcomes?
What are workable agreements?