Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University (IDC, Herzliya).
Department of Psychology, University of Rochester.
J Sex Res. 2024 Jul;61(6):936-945. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2150998. Epub 2022 Dec 2.
People commit to monogamous relationships with the intent of maintaining sexual exclusivity but often fail to do so. Existing research has focused on individual and relationship characteristics that render relationships more vulnerable to infidelity, paying less attention to strategies that decrease the likelihood of straying. Three experiments investigated the impact of one strategy that might encourage people to enact relationship-protective responses toward alternative partners, perspective-taking. In all studies, participants either adopted the perspective of their partner or not and then evaluated, encountered, or thought about attractive strangers, in Studies 1-3, respectively. Participants' pro-relationship orientation and reactions during these experiences (interest in alternative and current partners, commitment to current relationships, and fantasmatic themes) were recorded. Results showed that perspective-taking decreased sexual and romantic interest in alternatives, while increasing commitment and desire for current partners. These findings suggest that partner perspective-taking discourages engagement in behaviors that may hurt partners and damage the relationship with them.
人们致力于一夫一妻制关系，意图保持性行为的排他性，但往往未能做到。现有研究主要关注使关系更容易出轨的个人和关系特征，而较少关注减少出轨可能性的策略。三项实验研究了一种可能鼓励人们对替代伴侣采取关系保护反应的策略，即换位思考。在所有研究中，参与者要么采用伴侣的视角，要么不采用，然后分别在研究 1-3 中评估、遇到或思考有吸引力的陌生人。记录了参与者在这些体验中的亲关系取向和反应（对替代和当前伴侣的兴趣、对当前关系的承诺以及幻想主题）。结果表明，换位思考会降低对替代者的性和浪漫兴趣，同时增加对当前伴侣的承诺和渴望。这些发现表明，伴侣换位思考会阻止可能伤害伴侣并破坏与他们关系的行为的发生。
