Dishonesty in Romantic Relationships: A Framework of Forms, Content, Dominant Motives, and Consequences

ABSTRACT Dishonesty occurs frequently in romantic relationships. Although previous research has already described its different forms, motives, and consequences, we herein strengthen respective research by providing an inductively derived, broad framework of the forms, content, dominant motives, and consequences of dishonesty in romantic relationships. To this end, participants ( N = 656) were asked to describe the most vivid, common, or recent incident when they were dishonest to their current ( n = 455) or former ( n = 175) romantic partner, or what they might be dishonest about in a hypothetical future romantic relationship ( n = 26). Based on content analysis, augmented with latent content analysis for the motives and consequences of dishonesty, we find support for the existence of four forms (active deception, lies, withholding information, and infidelity), eight content areas (e.g., finances, sexuality), and two dominant motives of dishonesty in romantic relationships, self and (alleged) partner protection. Finally, we find support for 18 kinds of perceived and narrated consequences of dishonesty in romantic relationships (e.g., The Vicious Cycle ).