Is romantic partner betrayal a form of traumatic experience? A qualitative study

Attachment Injury Severity, Injury-related Stress, Forgiveness, and Sexual Satisfaction in Injured Adult Partners

An attachment injury can occur when one partner violates the assumption that they will provide comfort and caring during a moment of increased need. For injured partners, unresolved attachment injuries can underlie an enduring stress reaction and lower relationship satisfaction. However, no research has examined the associations between the perceived severity of the injury and sexual satisfaction, a central component of relationship well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the direct and indirect associations between the perceived severity of the attachment injury and sexual satisfaction via injury-related stress symptoms and levels of forgiveness, in injured partners. A total of 145 adults who reported having experienced an attachment injury in their current relationship completed self-report questionnaires measuring injury severity, event-related stress, forgiveness, and sexual satisfaction. An indirect association between the perceived severity of the attachment injury and sexual satisfaction through higher injury-related stress and lower forgiveness was found via a path analysis. Results suggest that fostering forgiveness and attending to injury-related stress may be key toward sexual satisfaction in couples where a partner reports an attachment injury. Clinical implications of these results are discussed in light of theory and potential treatment strategies for addressing an attachment injury in couple's therapy.

Love and Infidelity: Causes and Consequences

This is a narrative review addressing the topic of romantic infidelity, its causes and its consequences. Love is commonly a source of much pleasure and fulfillment. However, as this review points out, it can also cause stress, heartache and may even be traumatic in some circumstances. Infidelity, which is relatively common in Western culture, can damage a loving, romantic relationship to the point of its demise. However, by highlighting this phenomenon, its causes and its consequences, we hope to provide useful insight for both researchers and clinicians who may be assisting couples facing these issues. We begin by defining infidelity and illustrating the various ways in which one may become unfaithful to their partner. We explore the personal and relational factors that enhance an individual's tendency to betray their partner, the various reactions related to a discovered affair and the challenges related to the nosological categorization of infidelity-based trauma, and conclude by reviewing the effects of COVID-19 on unfaithful behavior, as well as clinical implications related to infidelity-based treatment. Ultimately, we hope to provide a road map, for academicians and clinicians alike, of what some couples may experience in their relationships and how can they be helped.

Treatment of adjustment disorder stemming from romantic betrayal using memory reactivation under propranolol: A open-label interrupted time series trial

OBJECTIVES

In a sustained relationship, romantic betrayal is a catastrophic event that can precipitate an adjustment disorder (AD). Surprisingly, there exists no empirically validated treatment for AD, despite its high prevalence in clinical practice. Considering the promise of memory reactivation under propranolol (i.e., reconsolidation interference) for treating posttraumatic stress disorder, we sought to extend this finding to AD, given that in both disorders, symptoms stem from an identified stressor.

METHOD

A single-blind interrupted time series design was used to examine the efficacy of memory reactivation under propranolol to alleviate symptoms of AD. After being placed on a 4-week waitlist, sixty-one participants received 5 weekly 25-min treatments during which they recalled the betrayal event, 1 h after having orally ingested the beta-blocker propranolol.

RESULTS

Segmented regression analyses on the intent-to-treat sample revealed that AD symptoms significantly decreased during the treatment phase (pre/post Cohen's d = 1.44), compared to the waitlist phase (d = 0.01). Significant pre/post reductions in anxio-depressive symptomatology were also found. Improvement was maintained at the 4-month follow-up on all outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Memory reactivation under propranolol shows promise in reducing symptoms of AD. This study provides the theoretical framework and necessary effect sizes to inform larger, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Exploring Brand Hate and the Association Between Similar Competitor Offer and Brand Equity: A Moderated-Mediation Model

Using the assumptions of Sternberg (2003) Duplex Theory of Hate, the present study reveals the combined effects of similar competitor offer and narcissistic personality on brand equity through the underlying mechanism of brand hate. Specifically, we hypothesize that brand hate mediates the relationship between similar competitor offer and brand equity. Moreover, we propose that similar competitor offer and brand hate relationship are stronger for narcissistic individuals. By employing a multi-wave time-lagged research design, we collected data from a sample of (N = 338) dairy product consumers in Pakistan. The findings of moderated-mediation regression analyses indicate that (a) Brand hate mediates the relationship between similar competitor offer and brand equity; and (b) Narcissistic personality moderates a similar competitor offer and brand hate relationship such that a high similar competitor offer led to greater brand hate when narcissism was high. Furthermore, conditional indirect effects reveal that brand hate mediates the relationship between similar competitor offer and brand equity only with individuals exhibiting narcissistic personality traits. The current study offers great insights to managers that by managing similar competitor offer, they can manage the development of brand hate, which can subsequently effect brand equity. Moreover, by profiling customers on the basis of their personalities, marketing managers can effectively invest only in customers with positive tendencies. The current study is unique in that it highlights new avenues in existing research by extending the nascent domain of brand hate in consumer-brand relationships.