7 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT CHEATING
Are we genetically predisposed to stray?
Infidelity is a subject that fascinates me. As I’ve aged, the thought of it—of cheating on the person you’re meant to love and honor—makes me sick. If your relationship isn’t working, why not either put some effort in, or else end it before you’ve hurt the person who’s meant the most? It’s a pretty critical statement to make, true, but everyone views things differently. Some people simply can’t be alone, and so cheat to segue from one relationship to another, while others think that if they choose someone for a physical release without an emotional commitment that it isn’t really infidelity at all. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it’s hard to ignore the facts about infidelity. Read on, trekkers.
1. Cheating is rampant. Current studies of American couples indicate that 20 to 40% of heterosexual married men and 20 to 25% of heterosexual married women will cheat on their spouse over the course of their marriage.
2. “Mate Poaching” — it’s a thing. More than half of the singles in a recent survey admitted to “mate poaching”—trying to woo away a committed person in a relationship. That’s 60% of men and 53% of women, people.
3. Cheating doesn’t mean you’re necessarily unhappy. Believe it or not, straying from your spouse doesn’t have to mean that you’re miserable. 56% of men and 34% of women who strayed rated their marriage as “happy” or “very happy” in a recent study on cheating.
4. You might be genetically predisposed to stray. Studies show the possibility of a gene that correlates to infidelity. Though the 2008 study by Walum and colleagues didn’t measure infidelity directly, it did study factors that lead to becoming unfaithful. The study investigated whether various genes affect pair-bonding behavior in humans; 552 couples were examined; all had been married or co-habiting for at least five years. Men carrying the 334 vasopressin allele in a specific region of the vasopressin system scored significantly lower on the Partner Bonding Scale, indicating less feelings of attachment to their spouse. Men carrying the 334 gene also experienced more marriage drama such as a possible divorce; men with two copies of this gene were approximately twice as likely to have had a marital crisis than those who had inherited either one or no copies of this allele. The partners of men with one or two copies of this gene also scored significantly lower on questionnaires measuring marital satisfaction.
5. Cheaters want to rock and roll. Literally; researchers have found that when it comes to cheaters, 41 percent of them prefer rock music to all other genres. The lowest favored music about cheaters was, surprisingly, rap/hip-hop.
6. When you’re at the peak of your fertility cycle, stay home! OK, not really—but a study done by UCLA researcher Dr. Martie Haselton did find that women are most attracted to men other than their partner when they’re in the high fertility stage of the menstrual cycle. ”
7. Beware that close colleague relationship. A recent study found that 85% of all cheating starts in the workplace, with a co-worker.
