Enter your email address
Submit
Write your message
Volume 24, Issue 155 (12-2025)
Journal of Psychological Science 2025, 24(155): 273-291 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Gheybi M, Karimi Sani P, Karimi Q. (2025). Identification of Preventive Factors for Marital Infidelity in Cyberspace by Examining Spiritual Factors Among Women Seeking Divorce. Journal of Psychological Science. 24(155), 273-291. doi:10.61186/jps.24.155.17
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3181-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-3181-en.html
Department of counseling, Shab.C, Islamic Azad University , Shabestar, Iran. , karimisani@iau.ac.ir
Abstract: (19 Views)
Background: The expansion of cyberspace has increased the opportunities for the formation of online extramarital relationships and has become an emerging challenge to family stability. Online marital infidelity is considered one of the significant factors contributing to marital conflict and divorce. In this context, spirituality, as an internal regulatory resource, can play a preventive role in reducing the occurrence of extramarital relationships. Despite the importance of this issue, limited research has examined the role of spiritual factors in preventing online marital infidelity, particularly among women seeking divorce.
Aims: This study was conducted with the aim of identifying preventive factors against marital infidelity in cyberspace by examining spiritual factors.
Methods: This research was conducted with a qualitative approach using the interpretive phenomenological method. The study population consisted of women with a history of infidelity in cyberspace, referred from the Family Court of Urmia County in the year 2023. The sample size included 13 participants who were selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview focusing on influential spiritual factors in reducing marital infidelity in cyberspace. The data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of MAXQDA 2024 software.
Results: Following the coding of the interviews and the categorization of themes, a total of 26 initial concepts (core codes) were identified. These were organized into 8 core themes, which ultimately culminated in 3 main themes: strengthening inner deterrence through individual spirituality, creating a protective environment through the institutions of family and society, and risk factors that weaken deterrence.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that if an individual possesses the necessary spiritual competencies, and the institutions of family and society also provide them with the required support and resources, it is likely that the grounds for the occurrence of infidelity in cyberspace will be significantly reduced.
Aims: This study was conducted with the aim of identifying preventive factors against marital infidelity in cyberspace by examining spiritual factors.
Methods: This research was conducted with a qualitative approach using the interpretive phenomenological method. The study population consisted of women with a history of infidelity in cyberspace, referred from the Family Court of Urmia County in the year 2023. The sample size included 13 participants who were selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview focusing on influential spiritual factors in reducing marital infidelity in cyberspace. The data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of MAXQDA 2024 software.
Results: Following the coding of the interviews and the categorization of themes, a total of 26 initial concepts (core codes) were identified. These were organized into 8 core themes, which ultimately culminated in 3 main themes: strengthening inner deterrence through individual spirituality, creating a protective environment through the institutions of family and society, and risk factors that weaken deterrence.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that if an individual possesses the necessary spiritual competencies, and the institutions of family and society also provide them with the required support and resources, it is likely that the grounds for the occurrence of infidelity in cyberspace will be significantly reduced.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/10/25 | Accepted: 2025/12/21 | Published: 2025/12/26
Received: 2025/10/25 | Accepted: 2025/12/21 | Published: 2025/12/26
References
1. تمرچی، فرزانه.، اسدپور، اسماعیل.، و زهراکار، کیانوش. (1401). ارائه مدل پارادایمی از عوامل زمینهساز خیانت زناشویی (مطالعه نظریه زمینهای. علوم روانشناختی، ۲۰ (۱۰۷)، ۲۰۴۳-۲۰۲۷. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.17357462.1400.20.107.5.2
2. حسینی، سیده ریحانه؛ جلالی، محمدرضا؛ کاکاوند، علیرضا. (1397). پیشبینی روابط فرازناشویی اینترنتی براساس تعهد زناشویی با میانجیگری ارتباط جنسی و عاطفی، فصلنامه آموزش، مشاوره و روان درمانی، 7 (76): 16-1. https://journals.iau.ir/article_668552_b428061c667e92d89b9866e9c70559f5
3. خسروی، انیسه، حیدرنیا، احمد، و نظیفی، مرتضی. (1398). نقش نگرش مذهبی در نگرش به خیانت زناشویی با میانجیگری بهزیستی ذهنی در زنان متأهل. پژوهشنامه روانشناسی مثبت، 5(3)، 13–28.DOI: 10.22108/ppls.2020.116388.1703
4. خوش صفا، حسن؛ کفاشی، مجید. (1395). بررسی رابطه شبکههای اجتماعی مجازی و ارزشهای خانواده، فصلنامه راهبرد اجتماعی فرهنگی، 6 (23): 200-173. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage
5. درتاج، فریبا، رجبیان دهزیره، مریم، فتح اللهی، فیروزه، درتاج، فتانه. (1397). رابطه میزان استفاده از شبکههای اجتماعی مجازی بااحساس تنهایی و خیانت زناشویی در دانشجویان، روانشناسی تربیتی (روانشناسی و علوم تربیتی)، 14 (47)، 119-140. https://doi.org/10.22054/jep.2018.32466.2262
6. رضایی، مهدی. (1403). کاوش عوامل مرتبط با رابطه فرازناشویی: یک مطالعه پدیدارشناسی تفسیری در بیرجند، فصلنامه علمی مطالعات راهبردی فرهنگ، 4(1) (مسلسل 13)، 81-113. https://scsj.ricac.ac.ir/article_196465.html
7. ریحانی، رضا، سودانی، منصور، فرهادیراد، حمید، و خجستهمهر، رضا. (1401). شناسایی مؤلفههای صمیمیت زناشویی در ازدواجهای پایدار: براساس نظریه دادهبنیاد. فصلنامه پژوهشهای نوین روانشناختی، 17(65)، 117–128. https://doi.org/10.22034/jmpr.2022.14917
8. سلیمی تکیه، غزل؛ از خوش، منوچهر؛ جعفری، پروین؛ مرسا، رویا (1402). رابطه هوش اخلاقی و نگرش به رابطه فرازناشویی با میانجیگری کمالگرایی در مردان متأهل، پژوهشهای روانشناسیاجتماعی، 52، 88-69. https://www.socialpsychology.ir/article_194363_79d9d738757416d780bde525120fcc8a.pdf
9. سیدی سیده زهرا، بختیاری سعید بهرام، اسدی جوانشیر، محمودی هیوا.(۱۴۰۳). پیشبینی گرایش به خیانت بر اساس طرحوارههای ناکارآمد و تنظیم شناختی هیجان در مراجعین مراکز مشاوره شهر تهران رویش روانشناسی ۱۳ (۴): ۲۱۴-۲۰۵. http://frooyesh.ir/article-1-5327-fa.html
10. شریفی ساعی، محمدحسین.، و آزاد ارمکی، تقی. (1400). عوامل شکلگیری خیانت زناشویی در ایران: یک مطالعه فراترکیب. بررسی مسائل اجتماعی ایران، ۱۲ (۲)، ۷۴-۳۳. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijsp.2022.87903
11. قائم محمدی، سید محمدرضا.، رضاپور میرصالح، یاسر.، و آریانپور، حمیدرضا. (1402). شناخت تجارب زیسته پدیده خیانت زناشویی با محوریت پیامدها و راهبردها در شهر یزد، مجله مطالعات ناتوانی، (13)، 63، 1-8. https://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3082-fa.pdf
12. کریمیزند، بهاره، و بهنودفر، رضا. (1402). بررسی رابطه بین میزان استفاده از شبکههای اجتماعی مجازی و خیانت زناشویی؛ موردپژوهش: دانشجویان متأهل دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی شهرستان بروجرد. نشریه شباک، 9(1)، 1–14. https://sid.ir/paper/1143747/fa
13. کمالجو، علی؛ نریمانی، محمد؛ عطادخت؛ ابوالقاسمی، عباس. (1395). مدل علی تأثیرات هوش معنوی و اخلاقی بر روابط فرازناشویی باواسطههای شبکههای مجازی و رضایت زناشویی، پژوهشهای روانشناسی اجتماعی، 6 (24): 75-53. https://journals.uok.ac.ir/article_44540.html?lang=en
14. مصباح، ایمان؛ صدری دمیرچی، اسماعیل؛ محمودی، جعفر؛ اعظمی، مریم (1401). شناسایی عوامل مؤثر بر بیوفایی زناشویی در فضای برخط با تحلیل پدیدارشناسانه شیوه زندگی، فصلنامه رواندرمانی و مشاوره خانواده، 12(1)، 103-136. https://doi.org/10.22034/fcp.2022.62716
15. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press. https://khoerulanwarbk.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/urie_bronfenbrenner_the_ecology_of_human_developbokos-z1.pdf
16. Burdette, A. M. Ellison, CH. G Sherkat, D. E. & Gore,.k (2007) Are there religious variation in marital infidelity? journal of family issues, 28(12), 1553-1581. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238663274_Are_There_Religious_Variations_in_Marital_Infidelity
17. Clayton, R. B. (2014). The third wheel: The impact of Twitter use on relationship infidelity and divorce. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 17(7), 425-30. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2013.0570
18. DeRose, L. F., Johnson, B. R., Wang, W., & Salazar-Arango, A. (2021). Couple Religiosity, Male Headship, Intimate Partner Violence, and Infidelity. Review of Religious Research, 63(4), 607-627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-021-00461-2 (Original work published 2021)
19. Dortaj, F., Rajabiyan, M., Fatolahi, F., & Dortaj, F. (2018). The Relationship between the Rate of Using Virtual Social Networks with Loneliness and Marital Infidelity in Students. Educational Psychology, 14(47), 119-140. [Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22054/jep.2018.32466.2262
20. Ferron, A., Lussier, Y., Sabourin, S., & Brassard, A. (2017). The role of Internet pornography uses and cyber infidelity in the associations between personality, attachment, and couple and sexual satisfaction. Social Networking, 6, 1-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/sn.2017.61001.
21. Ghaem Mohammadi, S. M., Rezapour Mirsaleh, Y., & Arianpour, H. (2023). Understanding the lived experiences of marital infidelity with a focus on consequences and strategies in Yazd city. Journal of Disability Studies, 13(63), 1-8. [Persian]. https://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3082-fa.pdf
22. Ghasemi, V., Adlipour, S., & Kianpour, M. (2012). Interaction in the virtual space of social networks and its impact on the religious identity of the youth: A case study of Facebook and the youth of Isfahan. Journal of Religion and Communication, 19(2), 5-36. [Persian]. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.22520252.1391.19.42.1.9
23. Goldberg AE, Allen KR, Smith, JZ. (2021). Divorced and separated parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fam Process; 60: 866-887. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12693
24. Hirschi, T. (2002). Causes of Delinquency. University of California Press. https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781351529723_A30635299/preview-9781351529723_A30635299.pdf
25. Hosseyni, S. R., Jalali, M. R., & Kakavand, A. (2018). Prediction of Internet extramarital relationships based on a marital commitment with mediation Sexual and emotional connection. Journal of Education, Counseling and Psychotherapy, 7 (26), 4-20. [Persian]. https://journals.iau.ir/article_668552_b428061c667e92d89b9866e9c70559f5
26. Kamaljoo, A., Narimani, M., Atadokht, A., & Abolghasemi, A. (2016). Predicting extramarital relationships based on spiritual intelligence, moral intelligence, marital satisfaction, and use of virtual social networks with the moderating role of gender. Journal of Family Counseling and Psychotherapy, 6(2), 39-67. [Persian]. https://journals.uok.ac.ir/article_44540.html?lang=en
27. Karimizand, Bahareh, & Behnoudfar, Reza. (2023). Investigating the relationship between the use of virtual social networks and marital infidelity: A case study of married students at Islamic Azad University of Borujerd. Shabak Journal, 9(1), 1–14.https://sid.ir/paper/1143747/fa[Persian].
28. Khoshsafa, H., & Kafashi, M. (2017). A survey of the Relationship between Virtual Networks and Family Values. Socio-Cultural Strategy, 6(2), 173-200. [Persian]. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage
29. Khosravi, Aniseh, Heydarnia, Ahmad, & Nazifi, Morteza. (2019). The role of religious attitude in attitudes toward marital infidelity with the mediating role of subjective well-being among married women. Positive Psychology Research Journal, 5(3), 13–28.DOI: 10.22108/ppls.2020.116388.1703 [Persian].
30. Liu, Y., & Zheng, L. (2020). Relationships between the Big Five, narcissistic personality traits, and online sexual activities. Personality and individual differences, 152, 109593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109593.
31. Malekzadeh, A. Pourmaveddat, K., Aslami, E. and Mirmotahar, M. (2025). The Digital Dilemma: Extramarital Relationships in Social Networks and the Mediating Role of Spirituality and Religious Attitudes. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences, 16(2), 165-178. https://doi.org/10.30476/ijvlms.2025.102858.1306
32. Mesbah, I., Sadri Damirchi, E., Mahmoodi, J., & Azami, M. (2022). Identifying factors affecting marital infidelity in online space with a phenomenological analysis of lifestyle. Family Counseling and Psychotherapy Quarterly, 12(1), 104-135. [Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/fcp.2022.62716
33. Mohammadi M, Karami A. (2025). Prediction of Attitude Toward Marital Infidelity in Married Women Based on Quality of Relationship with Father, Religious Attitude and Emotional Dysregulation. Health Spiritual Med Ethics. 12(1):9-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.32598/hsmej.12.1.199.5
34. Ogwuche, C. H., Isaac, T. K., Caleb, O., Dorcas, T. O. (2024). Marital Infidelity Among Married Couples: Predictive Roles of Emotional Intelligence and Narcissistic Personality Traits in Makurdi Benue State. Journal of Innovation in Psychology, Education and Didactics, 28(1), 17-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.29081/JIPED.2024.28.1.03
35. Onah, C. (2020). To Understand the Cause of Infidelity, We Must Realise that Everyone Is Responsible. Psychreg News. https://www.psychreg.org/cause-of-infidelity/
36. Rezaei, M. (2024). Exploring factors associated with extramarital relationships: An interpretive phenomenological study in Birjand. Scientific Quarterly of Strategic Cultural Studies, 4(1), 81-113. [Persian]. https://scsj.ricac.ac.ir/article_196465.html
37. Reyhani, Reza, Sodani, Mansour, Farhadirad, Hamid, & Khojastehmehr, Reza. (2022). Identifying the components of marital intimacy in stable marriages: Based on the grounded theory. Journal of Modern Psychological Research, 17(65), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.22034/jmpr.2022.14917 [Persian].
38. Salimi Takyeh, G., Azkhosh, M., Jafari, P., & Morsa, R. (2023). The relationship between moral intelligence and attitude toward extramarital relationships with the mediation of perfectionism in married men. Social Psychology Research, 13(52), 69-88. [Persian]. https://www.socialpsychology.ir/article_194363_79d9d738757416d780bde525120fcc8a.pdf
39. Santosa, B. (2017). Spirituality and Infidelity: A Study of the Correlation of Spiritual Maturity Level and the Tendency Toward Marital Infidelity Among Indonesian Evangelical Church in Jakarta. Unpublished Thesis Dissertation, Church work with families Indonesia, Adultery Biblical teaching, Church work with families, Indonesia. https://archive.org/details/2017SantosaBudiyanto.
40. Seyedi S Z, Bakhtiari Saeed B, Asadi J, Mahmoudi H. (2024). Predicting infidelity tendency on maladaptive schemas and cognitive regulation of emotion in clients of counseling centers in Tehran. Rooyesh. 13(4), 205-214. http://frooyesh.ir/article-1-5327-fa.html [Persian].
41. Sharifi Saei, M. H., & Azad Armaki, T. (2021). Factors in the formation of marital infidelity in Iran: A meta-synthesis study. Social Problems of Iran, 12(2), 33-74. [Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijsp.2022.87903
42. Tamrchi, F., Asadpoor, E., & Zahrakar, K. (2022). Presenting a paradigmatic model of underlying factors that result in marital infidelity based on grounded theory. J of Psychological Science. 20(107), 2027-2043. [Persian]. https://psychologicalscience.ir/article - 1 -1074 -fa.html
43. Whittington, D. D., & Turner, L. A. (2022). Relations of family-of-origin communication patterns to attachment and satisfaction in emerging adults' romantic relationships. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 52(3), 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2022.2110173?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate
44. Zeinali, A., & Akbari, H. (2016). Social factors affecting the tendency to extramarital affairs of married women, 4th National Conference on Counseling and Mental Health, Quchan, [Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/620830/
45. Zhou., Z. (2025). The Impact of Family of Origin on Romantic Relationships: A Psychological Perspective, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Social Psychology and Humanity Studies, https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/2025.20444
46. Zivido, I., Lubin, O. B. H., & Asher, S. (2018). “I Swear I Will Never Betray You”: Factors Reported by Spouses as Helping Them Resist Extramarital Sex in Relation to Gender, Marriage Length, and Religiosity. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(2), 236 -251. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1347602
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License. |
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)