Research
While studies of infidelity as it affects couples abound, research on parent infidelity and studies of its effect of children is limited. Unfortunately, like most research, data is largely based on White heterosexual university students. Disclaimers aside, these articles have proven invaluable to my thinking and writing on the topic.
Articles and books are listed chronologically from oldest to newest:
Duncombe, J., Harrison, K., Allan, G., & Marsden, D. (Eds.). (2004). The State of Affairs: Explorations in Infidelity and Commitment (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410610652
Parental conflict and infidelity as predictors of adult children’s attachment style and infidelity
Rhi Anna L. Platt, David P. Nalbone, Gisele M. Casanova & Joseph L. Wetchler (2008) Parental Conflict and Infidelity as Predictors of Adult Children’s Attachment Style and Infidelity, The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36:2, 149-161, DOI: 10.1080/01926180701236258
Allison R. Thorson (2009) Adult Children’s Experiences with their Parent’s Infidelity: Communicative Protection and Access Rules in the Absence of Divorce, Communication Studies, 60:1, 32-48, DOI: 10.1080/10510970802623591
Parents Who Cheat
Nogales, Ana. Parents Who Cheat. Deerfield Beach, FL. Health Communications, Inc. 2009
Does college-based relationship education decrease extradyadic involvement in relationships?
Braithwaite, Scott & Lambert, Nathaniel & Fincham, Frank & Pasley, Kay. (2010). Does College-Based Relationship Education Decrease Extradyadic Involvement in Relationships?. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43). 24. 740-5. 10.1037/a0021759.
Adult Children’s Discovery of Their Parents’ Infidelity
Thorson, Allison. (2013). Adult Children’s Discovery of Their Parents’ Infidelity. Qualitative Communication Research. 2. 61-80. 10.1525/qcr.2013.2.1.61.
Parental Infidelity: Adult Children’s Attributions for Parents’ Extramarital Relationships
by Allison R. Thorson
in Communication for Families in Crisis: Theories, Research, Strategies
editors: Fran C. Dickson (Editor), Lynne M. Webb (Editor)
2012 Peter Lang Publishing, NY, NY
pp 55-75
Feeling Caught: Adult Children’s Experiences with Parental Infidelity
Allison R. Thorson (2014) Feeling Caught: Adult Children’s Experiences with Parental Infidelity, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 15:1, 75-83, DOI: 10.1080/17459435.2014.955595
A Prototype Analysis of Infidelity
WEISER, D.A., LALASZ, C.B., WEIGEL, D.J. and EVANS, W.P. (2014), A prototype analysis of infidelity. Pers Relationship, 21: 655-675. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12056
Thorson, Allison. (2015). Investigating Adult Children’s Experiences with Privacy Turbulence Following the Discovery of Parental Infidelity. Journal of Family Communication. 15. 41-57. 10.1080/15267431.2014.980824.
Schmidt, Alexandra & Green, Mary & Sibley, D. & Prouty, Anne. (2015). Effects of Parental Infidelity on Adult Children’s Relational Ethics With Their Partners: A Contextual Perspective. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy. 15. 10.1080/15332691.2014.998848.
Seeking the Hiding: Working Through Parental Infidelity
Miller, L.D. Seeking the Hiding: Working Through Parental Infidelity. Clin Soc Work J 44, 252–264 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0561-2
Allison R. Thorson (2017) Communication and Parental Infidelity: A Qualitative Analysis of How Adult Children Cope in a Topic-Avoidant Environment, Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 58:3, 175-193, DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2017.1300019
Exploring intergenerational patterns of infidelity
Weiser, D. A., & Weigel, D. J. (2017). Exploring intergenerational patterns of infidelity. Personal Relationships, 24(4), 933-952. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12222
Family Background and Propensity to Engage in Infidelity
Weiser, D. A., Weigel, D. J., Lalasz, C. B., & Evans, W. P. (2017). Family Background and Propensity to Engage in Infidelity. Journal of Family Issues, 38(15), 2083–2101. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X15581660
Parental Infidelity and Children’s Reactions: A Case Study in a Filipino Family
Batara, J.B., Guanzon, A.B., Macaloyos, J.L., Diaz, C.L., Albao, J.C., & Villano, M.D. (2018). Parental Infidelity and Children’s Reactions: A Case Study in a Filipino Family. PRism, 23.
Kawar, C., Coppola, J., & Gangamma, R. (2019). A Contextual Perspective on Associations Between Reported Parental Infidelity and Relational Ethics of the Adult Children. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 45(2), 354-363. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12331
Thorson, A. R. (2019). Investigating the relationships between unfaithful parent’s apologies, adult children’s third-party forgiveness, and communication of forgiveness following parental infidelity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(9), 2759–2780. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518799978
Triangulation and Parental Infidelity
Allison R. Thorson (2020): Triangulation and Parental Infidelity:Faithful Parents’ Attempts to Make Their Adult Children Feel Caught, Rumination, and Satisfaction in the Unfaithful Parent–Child Relationship, Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2020.1833293
Rumination’s mediating effect on feeling caught and well-being after parental infidelity
Thorson, Allison. (2020). Rumination’s mediating effect on feeling caught and well-being after parental infidelity. Family Relations. 70. 10.1111/fare.12509.
Exploring the lived experience of parental infidelity
Lutfiye Salih & Sara Chaudry (2021): Exploring the lived experience of parental
infidelity, Journal of Family Studies, DOI: 10.1080/13229400.2021.1956997
The Impact of Infidelity on Filipino Family Dynamics and Young Adult Filipino’s Self Concept
ANDREW SIGUAN, MAXIN FENONI THERESE ONG & SIDNEY IRA MARIE CAÑETE (2021): THE IMPACT OF INFIDELITY ON FILIPINO FAMILY DYNAMICS AND YOUNG ADULT FILIPINO'S SELF- CONCEPT. MALIM: Jurnal Pengajian Umum Asia Tenggara 22 (2021): 14 – 37 https://doi.org/10.17576/malim-2021-2201-02
This is a research round up of two related studies by the same author. Both look at the concepts of feeling caught between parents (also known as triangulation), and at rumination as it relates to parent infidelity.