Adult children of parental infidelity and their perspectives of love, intimate relations, and marriage

Abstract

This study examined how a parent (s) infidelity can/will potentially impact their children’s perceptions of love, marriage, and intimate relationships. The study consisted of interviewing five adults from a west central Wisconsin area. The study was conducted in the fall of 2001, and explored the impact of a parent (s) infidelity on adults through a review of literature and critical analysis of the information in an ethnographic, qualitative manner. Hypotheses were considered in this study. They were;1) there will be a relationship between gender of the unfaithful parent and degree of distress experienced by the adult child in the areas of love, marriage, and intimate relationships, 2) there will be a relationship between a parent (s) infidelity and an adult child’s perceptions of love, marriage, and intimate relationships, 3) there will be a relationship between gender of the adult child, and degree of distress in the above stated areas. Research has suggested that a relationship does exist between parental infidelity and an adult child’s perceptions of love, marriage, and intimate relationships. There has been however, controversy as to the extent of the impact. Divorce has received much attention as an agent that evokes negative feelings related to love and marriage in adults who have parents that separated. Of interest during this study was how a parent (s) modeling of relationships has/has not influenced an adult child’s perceptions and views of love, marriage, and intimate relationships. This study served as a pilot for future research to build on. An interview format was utilized, and the study was confidential in nature