Phenomenology of Women's Life Experience of Male’s (Spouse) Infidelity Behaviors

Marital infidelity, which has become a common phenomenon for family therapists today, is a shocking issue for couples. The aim of this study was to investigate the behaviors of traitorous men and its consequences in September 2016. In this study, the phenomenological method was used to gain live experiences of women who have experienced infidelity. Purposeful sampling was continued up to the data saturation level (30 people). The main method of data collection was in-depth and unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, allowing participants to fully describe their experiences with the phenomenon under study. Out of the total number of interviews, 26 interviews were of good quality for data analysis. Continuous comparison method was used to analyze the data. The findings show that unfaithful men exhibit two types of behavior, one of which is destructive, such as pessimism, the threat of divorce, violence, and stubbornness. But other behaviors are aimed at improving the relationship, such as expressing regret and paying attention and expressing interest. When the family is in turmoil due to infidelity, continuing destructive behaviors such as not meeting emotional needs, male neglect, communication problems, lack of empathy and companionship and not spending time with the family can lead to emotional divorce and the family to push the side of complete collapse. But continuing corrective behaviors in the long run, provided the betrayal is not repeated, may help resolve the crisis caused by the betrayal.