Emotional Mechanisms Predicting Marital Loyalty: A Qualitative Review Study
Keywords:
Marital loyalty, emotion regulation, attachment, emotional security, couple interactionAbstract
This study aimed to systematically explain the emotional mechanisms underlying marital loyalty and to develop an integrated conceptual framework for understanding the stability of marital commitment. Using a qualitative review design, data were collected exclusively through a systematic analysis of scientific literature. Following multi-stage screening, 13 eligible studies were selected. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo 14 through open, axial, and selective coding. Theoretical sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved and the final conceptual model was constructed. The results revealed that marital loyalty is shaped by the dynamic interaction of three core emotional mechanisms: emotion regulation, attachment and emotional security, and couples’ emotional interaction patterns. These mechanisms enhance trust, intimacy, emotional commitment, and constructive conflict management, thereby protecting the marital bond, whereas their disruption contributes to emotional erosion and reduced loyalty. Marital loyalty is a profoundly emotional and relational phenomenon that requires strengthening emotional regulation skills, attachment security, and constructive interaction patterns, providing essential implications for preventive and therapeutic interventions in family counseling.
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