Testing the Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship between Psychological Capital and Distress Tolerance in Couples Suffering from Marital Infidelity

Marital infidelity is a complex emotional, social, familial, legal and moral problem that has unpleasant consequences. The ability to tolerate the stress resulting from marital infidelity can be influenced by a variety of factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between psychological capital and distress tolerance in couples suffering from marital infidelity. This is a correlational study of structural equations type. The statistical population included all the married men and women suffering from marital infidelity who had referred to family counseling centers in Tehran, Iran in the first half of 2018. From among them, 400 people were selected using the cluster random sampling method. They completed distress tolerance, psychological capital and cognitive flexibility questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 and analysis of a moment structures (AMOS) software. The results of fitness indices supported the fitness of the proposed model. The results of structural equation analysis indicated the significance of the direct path coefficients of the final model and also the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between psychological capital and distress tolerance. As a result of the research findings, it can be said that psychological flexibility is the mediator between psychological capital and distress tolerance of couples suffering from marital infidelity, and the distress tolerance of the individuals suffering from marital infidelity can be increased by improving their psychological capital and flexibility.