Internet infidelity and its correlates

The focus of this paper in infidelity on the Internet - the formation of romantic and sexual liaisons via the Internet in addition to the individual's primary partnership. A sample of 183 adults currently or recently in a relationship were surveyed regarding their involvement in and attitudes toward various forms of infidelity, along with measures of love styles, attachment styles and relationship variables (relationship satisfaction, perceived alternatives, investment and commentment). More than 10 percent of the sample had formed Internet relationships of a social/romantic nature, around 8 percent had experienced 'cybersex' and 6 percent had met their Internet partner off-line. Just over half the respondents (58 percent) believed extradyadic relationships on the Internet classified as unfaithfulness; this number increasing to 71 percent if the interactions involved cybersex and to 82 percent if there were meetings off-line. Engagement in extradyadic Internet relationships was associated with Ludus, Mania and Agape lovestyles and anxious attachment, but not with characteristics of the primary relationship. The belief that extradyadic Internet relationships constituted unfaithfulness was associated wtih female gender and (weakly) with Mania and Pragma lovestyles. Together the data underline the importance of individual personality factors in sexual behaviour, specifically infidelity