Parental Infidelity and Children’s Reactions: A Case Study in a Filipino Family

Authors

  • Jame Bryan Lamberte Batara University of San Carlos http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4649-0976
  • Angeli B. Guanzon University of San Carlos
  • Josephine L. Macaloyos University of San Carlos
  • Christine Leslie Diaz University of San Carlos
  • Johannes Carmelle Albao University of San Carlos
  • Mikhail Dominic Villano University of Cebu

Abstract

Parents serve as the backbone of the development of children. Positive and negative childhood experiences influence the future behaviors and perceptions of the child. Particularly, negative experiences may be associated with detrimental outcomes for children. One of these experiences may be parental infidelity. Parental infidelity has both long and short term effects which include negative emotions, perceptions, distrust, low self-esteem, and loss of motivation. This study investigated a family case on the different emotions and perceptions of three siblings who have witnessed the infidelity of their mother. The researchers conducted interview and testing sessions among the siblings and were able to gather their perceptions and feelings towards an ideal family, upon their discovery of their mother’s infidelity, towards their parents, relationship or marriage, trust, infidelity, and themselves. Findings of the study imply that infidelity, in general, does not only affect the parents but the children as well.

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Author Biography

Jame Bryan Lamberte Batara, University of San Carlos

I am a faculty member and the research coordinator of the Department of Psychology, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines. I am also a faculty member and the research committee head of the Department of General Education and Mission of the same institution. At the university level, I am one of the representatives for School of Arts and Sciences Research Council and a member of the University Research Ethics Committee. As a licensed psychometrician, I am a member and a regular research presentor of the Psychological Association of the Philippines. I obtained my bachelor and masters degree in Social Psychology at University of San Carlos and earned units in PhD in Social Psychology at University of the Philippines – Diliman.

Outside of my university functions, I am also invited as a reviewer of journals recognized by the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education namely University of the Visayas Journal and Philippine Journal of Psychology, and international peer-reviewed journals such as International Journal of Research Studies in Psychology, and Interpersona: An International Journal of Personal Relationships. I conduct group dynamics activities to school-based organizations and provide assistance to medical and social science researchers in their research data analyses.

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Published

2020-02-11

How to Cite

Batara, J. B. L., Guanzon, A. B., Macaloyos, J. L., Diaz, C. L., Albao, J. C., & Villano, M. D. (2020). Parental Infidelity and Children’s Reactions: A Case Study in a Filipino Family. PRISM, 23(1). Retrieved from https://norsu.edu.ph/norsuprism/index.php/norsuprism/article/view/128

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