男性弒殺外遇的伴侶事件頻傳，最令研究者困惑的是原屬於只打家人型（family only）的婚暴者，其並無人格異常或情感不穩定狀態，何以因為伴侶外遇而最後演變成殺妻事件？國外文獻顯示某些傳統集體主義與父權宰制的社會，允許以暴力、甚至弒殺來嚴懲不貞的女性，此類事例在傳統華人社會亦有所聞；然而隨著通姦除罪化、女性主體意識提升的趨勢逐漸明朗，何以仍有男性將外遇的伴侶殺害？為了釐清此現象，本研究先透過典籍分析以釐清傳統華人的貞節內涵，再依循建構主義研究典範，採取敘事研究法，以一位原屬只打家人型、但因伴侶外遇而導致弒妻者為對象，藉其生命敘說來理解貞節在其殺妻案件中的意涵。研究結果共獲得五個主題：自我抑制與順從的因應基調、夫妻角色的期待與挫敗、妻子外遇後的矛盾、離婚後的糾結與爆發、病識感與在監修行。本研究顯示伴侶外遇是促發殺妻的關鍵因素，但尚不足以構成殺妻的充分條件；在解讀本研究結果時，仍須融入儒家關係主義的「關係中的人們」之視野，方能周延地理解受訪者的弒殺行徑。

Why do some wife batterers kill their unfaithful wives? To answerthis question, Chinese fidelity was examined by studying relatedancient texts and through an interview using the narrative inquirymethod with a male murderer whose wife was unfaithful. The analysisresulted in 5 themes: the themes of obedience and self-restraint, thehusband’s expectations and setbacks with regard to his wife’s rolepractice, the conflict arising after his wife had extramarital affairs, thestruggles and violence after divorce, and insight into his mental illnessand his self-cultivation in jail. Results indicate that Chineserelationalism can be used to explain infidelity as a key factor inintimate homicide by a wife batterer.