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INFIDELITY AND RELATIONSHIP RECOVERY: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE OURRELATIONSHIP PROGRAM
Location: West Ballroom
Mentor: Dr. Brian Doss
Infidelity is a significant challenge in relationships and often results in emotional distress, diminished trust and increased likelihood of breakup potential. This study examines the impact of infidelity on heterosexual couples seeking treatment and evaluates the efficacy of the OurRelationship program in improving relationship outcomes, including trust, relationship satisfaction, conflict resolution, and breakup potential. A sample of 294 couples participated in the study and were categorized based on infidelity status: no infidelity, male-partner infidelity, female-partner infidelity, or both-partners infidelity. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that the OurRelationship program significantly improved relationship outcomes over time regardless of gender or cheating status. Although at pre-intervention, all couples had equivalent levels of couples’ conflict regardless of cheating status and all couples experienced improvements in couples’ conflict post-intervention, couples in which the male partner endorsed cheating experienced significantly less improvements compared to couples in which the female partner cheated and in which neither partner endorsed cheating. Gender differences were also observed, with women reporting lower trust and relationship satisfaction overall but experiencing larger gains compared to male participants after undergoing the intervention. This suggests potential gender influences of infidelity perception and reconciliation efforts. Findings highlight the program’s effectiveness in helping couples navigate infidelity recovery and emphasize the need for tailored interventions that address gender-specific emotional processing. Future research should explore long-term program efficacy and adaptations for diverse relationship structures.
