{"id":{"repo_id":"ubc","oai_identifier":"oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/2269"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ubc/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/2269","repository":{"repo_id":"ubc","name":"University of British Columbia","base_url":"http://circle.library.ubc.ca/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The experience and meaning of women’s extramarital affairs","abstract":"A qualitative phenomenological paradigm was used to explore the phenomenon of clandestine heterosexual extramarital affairs for women in long-term relationships. Five women were recruited from two cities on Vancouver Island, B.C. During individual, in-depth, audiotaped, personal interviews, the women retrospectively described their experience of an extramarital affair (or affairs). Five common themes were extrapolated from the data using the seven-step model of data analysis outlined by Colaizzi (1978). The results indicated that in their long-term relationships, the women felt powerless, invalidated, and disconnected. They perceived themselves as having a sense of control and as feeling validated and connected in their affairs. The women felt shame and self-blame for having sexual and emotional needs. They felt guilty for engaging in an affair to fulfill these needs, for breaking a traditional code of behavior, and for the pleasure they experienced in their affairs. They experienced a sexual reawakening in their affairs which brought with it a clarity about themselves and their needs. The experience was felt to be healing and was also a catalyst for positive change for all of the women, although for some this positive change signaled the ending of their marital relationships.","abstract_html":"A qualitative phenomenological paradigm was used to explore the phenomenon of clandestine heterosexual extramarital affairs for women in long-term relationships. Five women were recruited from two cities on Vancouver Island, B.C. During individual, in-depth, audiotaped, personal interviews, the women retrospectively described their experience of an extramarital affair (or affairs). Five common themes were extrapolated from the data using the seven-step model of data analysis outlined by Colaizzi (1978). The results indicated that in their long-term relationships, the women felt powerless, invalidated, and disconnected. They perceived themselves as having a sense of control and as feeling validated and connected in their affairs. The women felt shame and self-blame for having sexual and emotional needs. They felt guilty for engaging in an affair to fulfill these needs, for breaking a traditional code of behavior, and for the pleasure they experienced in their affairs. They experienced a sexual reawakening in their affairs which brought with it a clarity about themselves and their needs. The experience was felt to be healing and was also a catalyst for positive change for all of the women, although for some this positive change signaled the ending of their marital relationships.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Evans-Locke, Nina M."],"institution":"University of British Columbia","degree_name":"Master of Arts - MA","degree_level":"master's","degree_discipline":"Counselling Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1993,"date_issued":"1993","date_published":"1993","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:07:21Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2429/2269","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Evans-Locke, Nina M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["1993"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of British Columbia"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counselling Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts - MA"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of British Columbia"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. 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The results indicated that in their long-term relationships, the women felt powerless, invalidated, and disconnected. They perceived themselves as having a sense of control and as feeling validated and connected in their affairs. The women felt shame and self-blame for having sexual and emotional needs. They felt guilty for engaging in an affair to fulfill these needs, for breaking a traditional code of behavior, and for the pleasure they experienced in their affairs. They experienced a sexual reawakening in their affairs which brought with it a clarity about themselves and their needs. The experience was felt to be healing and was also a catalyst for positive change for all of the women, although for some this positive change signaled the ending of their marital relationships."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["6821670","application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The experience and meaning of women’s extramarital affairs"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Evans-Locke, Nina M."],"dc:date":["1993"],"dc:description":["A qualitative phenomenological paradigm was used to explore the phenomenon of clandestine heterosexual extramarital affairs for women in long-term relationships. Five women were recruited from two cities on Vancouver Island, B.C. During individual, in-depth, audiotaped, personal interviews, the women retrospectively described their experience of an extramarital affair (or affairs). Five common themes were extrapolated from the data using the seven-step model of data analysis outlined by Colaizzi (1978). The results indicated that in their long-term relationships, the women felt powerless, invalidated, and disconnected. They perceived themselves as having a sense of control and as feeling validated and connected in their affairs. The women felt shame and self-blame for having sexual and emotional needs. They felt guilty for engaging in an affair to fulfill these needs, for breaking a traditional code of behavior, and for the pleasure they experienced in their affairs. They experienced a sexual reawakening in their affairs which brought with it a clarity about themselves and their needs. The experience was felt to be healing and was also a catalyst for positive change for all of the women, although for some this positive change signaled the ending of their marital relationships."],"dc:format":["6821670","application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/2429/2269","http://circle.library.ubc.ca/bitstream/2429/2269/3/ubc_1993_fall_evans-locke_nina.pdf"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of British Columbia"],"dc:rights":["For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use."],"dc:title":["The experience and meaning of women’s extramarital affairs"],"dc:type":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counselling Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts - MA"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of British Columbia"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:07:21Z"}