
Infidelity can trigger questions about personal worth.
A betrayed partner may compare herself with the other woman and wonder whether she was attractive, interesting, loving, or “good enough.”
Research on romantic rejection and betrayal shows that these experiences can threaten self-esteem and someone's sense of relational value.
But someone's decision to cheat cannot be reduced to the betrayed partner's attractiveness or worth.
Infidelity is influenced by numerous individual, relationship, and situational factors.
The question “What did she have that I didn't?” can therefore feel psychologically compelling without providing the real explanation for why the betrayal happened.
© Personal Relationships