A scene from ‘The Graduate’ with Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman. PHOTO: EVERETT COLLECTION
I have written several pieces on why people cheat. But I came across a
recent article in the Wall Street Journal by Elisabeth Bernstein that says there are six major risk factors for infidelity. Studies show that between 1 in 5 and 1 in 4 married people will admit to having engaged in sexual infidelity. So what are these risk factors? According to the article they are:
1.
Gender. Yes, men are more likely to cheat than women but as society has become more and more egalitarian, the gender gap has closed. According to researchers at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and California State University, Los Angeles, men cheat because they are looking for "variety and excitement" while women cheat because they are "emotionally dissatisfied".
2.
Age. According to David Frederick, an assistant professor of health psychology at Chapman University, men and women are less likely to cheat at middle age (35 - 50) because they are usually too stressed and too busy to cheat.
3.
Opportunity. Long hours, frequent travel, and being surrounded by "attractive people who would make high-quality alternative partners" increases the likelihood of infidelity.
4.
History. If the reasons for cheating are more about the individual than the relationship, the person is at risk for cheating again, Dr. Campbell says. If the relationship was more to blame, the risk of repeating isn’t as great.
5.
Relationship Dissatisfaction. Infidelity and relationship dissatisfaction work both ways: You may cheat because you are unhappy in the relationship, but cheating will make you unhappier. People who are satisfied in their marriage are unlikely to cheat, experts say.
6.
Personality. According to Justin Lehmiller, a Purdue University psychologist who studies sex and relationships and is the author of “The Psychology of Human Sexuality", people who score low on “agreeableness” (being kind and caring about other people’s feelings) and “conscientiousness” (being dependable and having self-discipline) are more likely to cheat.
To read the original article in the WSJ, click
here.
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