Perceived Infidelity as a Mediator Between Attachment, Self-Esteem, and Relationship Satisfaction

This study examined whether perceived infidelity mediates the associations of attachment styles and self-esteem with romantic relationship satisfaction among university students. Participants were 633 students aged 18 to 30 (76% female) who were currently in a romantic relationship. Data were collected online using the Relationship Satisfaction Scale, the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Perceived Infidelity Scale. Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis, and direct and indirect associations were tested with structural equation modeling. Perceived infidelity partially mediated the associations of secure and dismissive attachment, and of positive and negative self-esteem, with relationship satisfaction. Secure attachment and positive self-esteem were indirectly associated with higher satisfaction through lower perceived infidelity, whereas dismissive attachment and negative self-esteem were associated with lower satisfaction through higher perceived infidelity. Because the model was revised on the same data, the findings are exploratory and require cross-validation. The results suggest that perceptions of infidelity are an important correlate of relationship satisfaction independent of actual infidelity, and that these perceptions merit direct attention in couple and individual counseling.