Have You Ever Had Your Trust Broken By A Partner?

One Research Team Has Linked Broken Trust To Moral Injury

Moral Injury Was First Studied In War Veterans

That Research Team Measured It Between Partners Instead

The Authors Knew Of No Earlier Study Of That Link

Their Studies Were About Violence Not Cheating

Other Teams Have Asked People Who Cheated Why They Did It

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OKAY BACK FROM THE COUCH 🛋️

A Moral Injury Scale Already Existed For Military Experiences

One Civilian Team In Atlanta Reworded Its Betrayal Questions

The Original Item Was About Leaders Who I Once Trusted

Their Civilian Version Used People Instead Of Leaders

A California Team Later Surveyed 152 College Students

Those Students Came From Diverse Backgrounds

The Team's Definition Of Moral Injury Was Broad

Doing Or Witnessing An Act Against One's Morals Can Lead To It

So Can Failing To Prevent Such An Act Or Being Its Victim

Students Reported Whether They Had Been Violent Toward A Partner

They Also Reported Whether A Partner Had Hurt Them

Researchers Split Moral Injury Into Two Kinds

One Kind Covered What A Person Did Themselves

The Other Covered What Someone Else Did

Being Violent And Being Hurt Both Went With More Moral Injury

Both Also Went With More Psychological Distress

For Violent Students Both Kinds Helped Explain That Link

Among Students Who Had Been Hurt Only One Kind Did

That Was Moral Injury Over Their Own Acts

The Same California Team Also Studied 142 Women

All Were Survivors Of Sexual Violence By A Partner

Each Answered Survey Questions And Wrote In Her Own Words

The Team Measured Two Kinds Of Moral Injury

One Kind Was Tied To Shame

The Other Was Tied To Broken Trust

That Violence Was Linked To Both Kinds Of Moral Injury

It Was Also Linked To Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Authors Wrote That Moral Injury May Link The Violence To PTSD

They Found Three Key Themes In The Women's Written Answers

Self-Betrayal Was The First Theme

The Second Was Self-Blame

Betrayal By The Other Person Was The Third

The Same Team Also Surveyed 210 Christian Women In The United States

That Survey Also Focused On The Same Kind Of Violence

It Measured Religious And Spiritual Struggle As Well

Faith Struggles Helped Explain The Link To Moral Injury

Moral Injury In Turn Went With Psychological Distress

Partner Violence And Cheating Are Different Subjects

No Study Here Measured Moral Injury After Cheating

A Research Team Surveyed 495 People Who Had Cheated

Most Of Them Were Young Adults

Each Described Their Own Reasons For Being Unfaithful

Some Had Fallen Out Of Love With Their Partner

Others Felt Neglected Or Were Not Very Committed

Anger At A Partner Came Up As Well

Some Wanted A Greater Variety Of Sexual Partners

Others Wanted To Enhance Their Popularity

Some Were Drunk And Not Thinking Clearly

The Same Researchers Also Asked What Happened After The Affair

20.4 Percent Broke Up With Their Partner Because Of It

34.34 Percent Confessed The Affair To Their Partner

46.26 Percent Kept The Affair Secret

Affairs Linked To Anger Or Falling Out Of Love Lasted Longer

Those Affairs Also Went With More Breakups

Another Team Asked 196 Adults Who Had Cheated About Guilt

Their Affairs Happened In Dating Relationships

Unplanned Sexual Cheating Brought The Most Guilt And Regret

Planned Sexual Cheating Brought The Least