Predictors of Extramarital Affairs
Major
Psychology
Minor
Applied Statistics
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Christopher Mecklin
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
An extramarital affair can apply great pressure on a couple, which may increase given the number of affairs that a partner engages in during a committed relationship. There are various factors that affect the likelihood of a person engaging in an affair during their relationship. The purpose of the current study was to examine which variables are significantly useful in predicting the number of affairs that a person engages in during a 1-year period. A retrospective analysis of survey data was conducted utilizing multiple linear regression. It was hypothesized that the variables religiosity, rating of marital satisfaction, number of years married, sex, and children may be significant predictors of number of affairs. Upon analysis, a more parsimonious, reduced linear model containing the predictors years married, rating of marital satisfaction, and religiosity was found to contain all significantly useful predictors and explain approximately the same amount of variability in the data as the full model. Although, there is concern about this utilizing this model due to some violations of the assumptions of regression, in addition to a low amount of variability in the data explained by the model. Implications of this study may allow people in relationships to be aware of these potential signs of extramarital affairs, which were found to be statistically significant. Future researchers should examine other predictors, which may be more useful, and recruit subjects who have engaged in affairs to examine which factors most significantly contributed to the number a person committed.
Fall Scholars Week 2019 Event
Data Stories (STA 235)
Predictors of Extramarital Affairs
An extramarital affair can apply great pressure on a couple, which may increase given the number of affairs that a partner engages in during a committed relationship. There are various factors that affect the likelihood of a person engaging in an affair during their relationship. The purpose of the current study was to examine which variables are significantly useful in predicting the number of affairs that a person engages in during a 1-year period. A retrospective analysis of survey data was conducted utilizing multiple linear regression. It was hypothesized that the variables religiosity, rating of marital satisfaction, number of years married, sex, and children may be significant predictors of number of affairs. Upon analysis, a more parsimonious, reduced linear model containing the predictors years married, rating of marital satisfaction, and religiosity was found to contain all significantly useful predictors and explain approximately the same amount of variability in the data as the full model. Although, there is concern about this utilizing this model due to some violations of the assumptions of regression, in addition to a low amount of variability in the data explained by the model. Implications of this study may allow people in relationships to be aware of these potential signs of extramarital affairs, which were found to be statistically significant. Future researchers should examine other predictors, which may be more useful, and recruit subjects who have engaged in affairs to examine which factors most significantly contributed to the number a person committed.