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Not every affair has the same aftermath.
The same research found that infidelity motivations were related to different outcomes involving the affair and original relationship.
Some motivations were associated with telling the primary partner about the affair.
Others were connected with whether the original relationship eventually ended.
This means the consequences of cheating aren't determined only by the fact that infidelity occurred.
The circumstances and motivations surrounding it can also matter.
An affair caused partly by low commitment may follow a different path from an impulsive situation involving someone who otherwise wanted to maintain the relationship.
“Cheating happened” can therefore be the beginning of the explanation rather than the whole explanation.
© Journal of *** & Marital Therapy (2021)