Marriage between men and women occurs in every known culture, and the breach of a marital alliance is a concomitant human universal (Schackelford & Buss, 1997). Estimates of marital infidelity among American couples identified by Shackelford and Buss (1997) range from 26 to 70 percent among women and from 33 to 75 percent for men. Infidelity is not confined to American or even to Western long-term relationships: In a study of 60 cultures worldwide, these researchers reported that infidelity was the most often cited reason for marital dissolution. Thus, the problem of infidelity is of significance for counselors, therapists and others who work to assist families facing the crises that occur when infidelity is revealed.
The traditional view of marriage in most cultures is that it is a union until death (Perrucci & Knudsen, 1990). Implicit in the vast majority of marital unions is the expectation of sexual fidelity. However, as the data presented above suggest, fidelity may often be the exception among married couples than the rule. Baron and Byrne (2000) state that among American couples, about 1.2 million are likely to divorce in any given year; with marriage rates at about 2.4 million per year, it becomes apparent that marriage is a somewhat fragile relationship and one that can be difficult to maintain.
Baron and Byrne (2000) commented that marriages fail for any number of reasons. Unresolved conflict over matters related to finance, lifestyle and child-rearing or family responsibilities, abusive behavior by one partner to the other or toward children, along with boredom, sexual dissatisfaction alcohol and drug abuse, infidelity, and general incompatibility are among the most common reasons for a marital dissolution.
At the same time, both Baron and Byrne (2000) and Perrucci and Knudsen (1990) pointed out that many troubled marriages do not end in divorce but rather in some form of accommodation. While inf...