Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Magy Martin

Abstract

Frequent military deployments have been associated with relationship issues for active-duty members, such as marital conflict and infidelity. Previous research has indicated that attachment, communication, and mental health are associated with military marriages’ stability during deployment. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature on military marriages regarding perceptions of infidelity (emotional and sexual). Proponents of attachment theory postulate that early attachment experiences facilitate the development of self-perception as well as perceptions of others. From this perspective, the attachment of military spouses is associated with their perceptions of their active-duty spouses engaging in infidelity. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between attachment, as measured by the Adult Attachment Scale, and infidelity perceptions, as measured by the Infidelity Expectations Questionnaire, for military spouses during their active-duty members’ deployment. A sample of 178 military spouses was recruited through social media platforms to complete surveys. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were conducted to identify the association and strength between attachment scores and infidelity perceptions. Findings indicate that proximity was a challenge due to deployment, during which spouses were continuously faced with communication challenges and feeling detached from the active-duty member. This contribution to existing literature may enhance social-change initiatives by informing education for military couples, providing a basis for attachment and infidelity-related training.

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