Explanation of Infidelity among Married Women in Tehran

Considering the lack of knowledge in the field of infidelity and its consequences in the country and the insufficient familiarity with the expressions of infidelity behaviors, the present study aimed at investigating the phenomenological experience of infidelity in married women. Methods: The present study used a qualitative method with a descriptive phenomenological approach. Population of the study included women engaged in infidelity visiting one of the consultation centers in the city of Tehran in the year 2017. Sampling of the population was carried out using the targeted snowball sampling method. Size of the sample was increased up to saturation point and, overall, 10 married women with the experience of infidelity were subjected to investigation. Semi-structured interview method was used to gather data and the data were analyzed through the Colaizzi's method. Results: The results demonstrated that infidelity occurs due to several factors including deficiency needs, the perpetrators' psychological qualities, marital compatibility, consequences expected from infidelity, and etiology of starting infidelity. Discussion: There are several factors involved in women's inclination to infidelity. Based on the findings of the present study, the practical proposition is to arrange therapy sessions and instructional manuals based on the concepts and axes extracted from the analysis of the interviews with people who have shared their phenomenological experience of infidelity with us.