ABSTRACT
Romantic relationships in the Western world oen reect the expectation that partners have an emotionally intimate connection with each other (Yarab, Sensibaugh, & Allgeier, 1998). Couples “fall in love with each other” and see this as a critical element for beginning and maintaining a romantic relationship together (Sternberg, 1988). Sternberg’s Triangular eory of Love describes the types of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. He stated that relationships that stand the test of time have high levels of emotional intimacy and commitment. Emotional intimacy is a signicant interpersonal and emotional connection between two individuals based on trust, love, understanding, and delity. e “rules” governing romantic relationships are oen not communicated between partners; however, most couples believe that sexual delity is an automatically understood norm governing their relationships (Leiblum & Döring, 2002). In dating relationships, most individuals follow serial monogamy patterns where they are sexually faithful to each other while the relationship exists and then to their next romantic partners (King, 2008). Within the past 15 years the Internet has become an explosive force. is force shapes our communication patterns, increases our interpersonal accessibility, and augments sociocultural norms for accessing and processing information about a diverse array of topics (Cooper & Grin-Shelley, 2002). Additionally, “a new sexual revolution has begun with the explosion of electronic technology, computers, and the rapid expansion of the Internet. ese technologies
are revolutionizing the ways in which we communicate, live our daily lives, establish communities, and work” (Jerome et al., 2000, as cited in Cooper & Grin-Shelley, 2002, p. 407). is chapter will explore Internet indelity as a threat to emotional intimacy in romantic relationships. Guidelines for recognizing Internet indelity, specic treatment strategies, and implications for training will be reviewed.
