Abstract

Commitment and betrayal are key aspects of a relationship that have impact on the quality or health of the relationship. The purpose of this paper was to use qualitative grounded theory methods to explore how commitment and betrayal are experienced in intimate relationships and to explore the outcomes of both. The data were taken from a larger project on healthy and unhealthy relationships where participants were recruited through convenience and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and constructivist grounded theory methods were used to code, generate, and refine prominent categories in the data. Findings revealed that commitment is experienced through five main dimensions: fidelity, prioritization, relational investment, wholeheartedness, and endurance. Betrayal was experienced through turning to someone or something outside the relationship, lying, unequal levels of commitment, and emotional or verbal aggression. Outcomes of both commitment and betrayal included changes in feelings of trust, emotional safety, connection, relational stability, and whether partners' needs were being met. Implications from this study include providing therapists and researchers with a more nuanced framework for understanding clients' lived experiences of commitment and betrayal.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

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