Introduction
The family is considered the most fundamental social unit, and the relationships between family members, their interactions with the social environment, and the structure of the family all have a profound impact on social development. In this context, the marital relationship serves as a crucial source of well-being and psychological health for couples. If couples are not committed to the covenant they have made, the family unit becomes vulnerable to various risks and threats. One of these risks is marital infidelity, which has emotional, virtual, and particularly sexual aspects. It occurs when one partner violates the marital commitment by establishing an emotional or sexual relationship with someone outside the family, thus betraying their spouse. In particular, in virtual spaces, especially on the Instagram social network, individuals have broader connections and engage in discussions on various topics. Sometimes, these relationships extend beyond the usual boundaries and norms, and due to conflicts with societal culture and values, they may be considered infidelity. In this regard, understanding the factors influencing the tendency and behavior of infidelity among Instagram users can be significant. The purpose of the present study was to investigate structural equation modeling of the mediating role of sensation seeking in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and marital attachment styles with attitudes toward infidelity in women user of the Instagram social media. This was descriptive-correlation research.
Method
This was descriptive-correlation research. The statistical population of the study was women user of the Instagram social media who of Tehran city in year 2024. The sample size was selected based on Klein's model (2023) and with subjectivw sampling of 440 women. Data collection tools include the scale of marital infidelity (SMI) of Bashirpour and et al (2018), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire of Garnefski & Kraaij (2006), brief accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement scale of Sandberg and et al (2012) and sensation seeking scale and Zuckerman (2007). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equations modeling. Results
The results showed direct effect of maladaptive cognitive regulation of emotion (β=0.52 and sig=0.001), adaptive cognitive regulation of emotion (β= - 0.44 and sig=0.001), marital attachment of self (β= - 0.51 and sig=0.001), marital attachment of spouse (β= - 0.52 and sig=0.027) and sensation seeking (β=0.43 and sig=0.001). Also, the final research model had a good fit (RMSEA=0.07, p<0.05) and 73% of the variance of attitudes toward infidelity is explained.
Discussion
The results of the present study have important theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this study, by using a mediating model, may contribute to understanding the mechanisms involved and influencing the tendency toward infidelity. Additionally, the results of the present study showed that emotion regulation strategies, attachment behaviors in marital relationships, and sensation seeking are key factors in predicting the tendency toward infidelity. Therefore, based on the findings of this study and the role of emotion regulation strategies and attachment behaviors in marital relationships in predicting the tendency toward infidelity among women who are Instagram users, it is suggested to use emotion regulation training and attachment-based interventions, such as attachment-based family therapy, to improve the tendency toward infidelity in these women.