本研究目的是在探索台灣已婚女性外遇的動機、其外遇關係的發展歷程，及女性面對三角關係的態度。透過面對面深度訪談的方式，本研究收集到七位已婚女性的外遇經驗。研究結果顯示，女性外遇主要的原因是由於外遇對象的吸引力（給予關懷、親密感、激情）遠大於過去配偶的吸引力（先生長期不在家、先生有外遇、與先生無法溝通、性需求無法滿足），加上背叛配偶的阻力小（隱密性高、不易被發現）、離婚的阻力大，因而造成三角關係互相依賴的現象。女性外遇關係的發展歷程可歸納成五個階段，分別為吸引期、發展期、甜蜜期、轉變期及終結期。所有受訪者在經歷外遇關係後皆表示沒有後悔，外遇讓她們獲得婚姻關係無法給予的情感與支持，維持婚姻、而以婚外情為慰藉生活，似乎是女性遭當時的最佳選擇。

The research reported here is to explore women's motives for, processes of, and attitudes towards getting involved in extramarital affairs. Data were collected from in-depth interviews conducted with seven women who have experienced or are currently having an extramarital affair. Our analyses show the primary reason women have affairs is that alternative attractions (e.g., receiving caring, intimacy, passion) exceed attractions deriving from the spouse (e.g., being apart from the spouse, husband having an affair, perceived decline in communication with the spouse, sexual needs unmet in marriage). Once barriers against betraying their spouse are relatively weak, and the constraints that keep them from leaving marriage are extremely high, women tend to maintain the relationships among three parties with a various degree of dependency. In addition, the processes in the development of an extramarital affair involve five stages: (1) getting attracted to the alternative, (2) improving the relationship, (3) falling in the relationship, (4) changing expectations about the relationship, and (5) terminating the relationship. All women interviewed felt no regrets about participating in extramarital activities, since the third person provided affection and support that couldn't be offered in marriage. It seems the best solution for women is to seek the third person for affection while staying in marriage for the sake of family.

女性外遇；質化研究

women's extramarital affairs; qualitative research