ROMANTIC BETRAYAL EXPERIENCES OF EMERGING ADULTS IN PAKISTAN: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

In this phenomenological study, the betrayal experiences of young Pakistani adults in romantic relationships were explored. Eight participants (4 men & 4 women) with an age range of 18-29 years (M_age = 22.63, SD = 2.87) were selected through purposive sampling from various public and private sector universities of Lahore, Pakistan. A demographic sheet with a semi-structured questionnaire was developed, and a face-to-face in-depth interview was conducted with every participant. Interpretative phenomenological framework (IPA) analysis was used to gain insight into participants' betrayal experiences with an ideographic focus. Findings suggest that Betrayal was experienced due to emotional infidelity and withdrawal, where betrayed men experienced conditional love, and women specifically experienced sexual infidelity. The psychological disturbances caused due to betrayal were manifested in the form of emotional and behavioral symptoms. Adults used both Emotion-focused and problem-focused coping with gender differences in the different strategies used to cope with their relationship's dissolution. Thus, to conclude, Pakistani emerging adults engage in romantic relationships, exploring partners according to their expectations, which, when not fulfilled, leads to the violation of interpersonal commitment, making betrayal a salient phenomenon of their relationship.