%0 Journal Article
%T Qualitatively Derived Definitions of Emotional Infidelity Among Professional Women in Cross
%A Julio Brionez
%A Kara B. Wettersten
%A Lindsey Morrissey
%J Psychology of Women Quarterly
%@ 1471-6402
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0361684318806681
%X We aimed to define emotional infidelity among professional women who are in monogamous, cross-gender romantic relationships. We used constructivist grounded theory to capture participants¡¯ lived experiences, perspectives, and worldviews. Eight currently partnered, self-identified women, established in their careers, and between the ages of 32 and 49, engaged in semi-structured initial, and brief follow-up, telephone interviews. Our data analysis and integration of participants¡¯ perspectives and experiences revealed three main categories: (1) defining emotional infidelity, (2) how emotional infidelity occurs, and (3) relationship safeguarding. We developed a substantive, though preliminary, definition of emotional infidelity grounded in the literature and based on eight women¡¯s discussion of emotional infidelity. Our hope is that researchers and practitioners would use this definition both as a model for investigating other population-specific definitions of emotional infidelity, and for better understanding and intervening upon relational processes related to emotional infidelity
%K emotional infidelity
%K infidelity
%K women¡¯s relationships
%K relationship concerns
%K grounded theory
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361684318806681