• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.195-208
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• 2002

This study examines how marital dissatisfaction is connected with extramarital relations among married women. To explore this subject,1 am using in-depth interview techniques. The data from 16 married women who involved (and are involving) extramarital relations are collected in semistructured interviews. In this article, I describe four specific types of extramarital relations with particular relevance to marital dissatisfaction: (1) temporary extramarital relations caused by marital dissatisfaction, (2) positive extramarital relations as maintaining dissatisfied marriage, (3) unavoidable extramarital relations as breaking dissatisfied marriage, and (4) extramarital relations as a part of life with satisfied marriage. With these results, I believe that equity theory could be applicable in explaining the relationships between marital satisfaction and extramarital relations. There are limitations when the qualitative research is analyzed. One problem is measurement. It is difficult to measure equality (or equity), life dissatisfaction, and other concepts. furthermore, this study is not abbe to explain causal relationships among equality, life dissatisfaction, actual extramarital relations. The future study should perhaps be in quantitative research focused on the causal model in which all exchange variables are conceptualized and properly measured for the intimate relationship.