Extramarital relationships: a reapraisal.
Extramarital relationships may not always disturb marital interaction, but on the contrary, marriages may have more permanence because many individuals find an answer to unmet needs in such relationships. In addition, a factor that rarely is mentioned in our society, which has vestiges of a puritanical ethic, is that an extramarital relationship can be an enjoyable experience for the individuals in and of itself. In a democratic society, which values choice, perhaps extramarital relationships can be undertaken if the individuals involved recognize: (1) the consequences of discovery, which may result in a threat to the solidarity of the marriage(s) involved; (2) the possibility that individuals so involved ultimately may wish to leave their own mates; and (3) that such a relationship may strengthen, not destroy, the unity of marriage.
D001290:Attitude; D005114:Extramarital Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy; D009042:Motivation; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012922:Social Change