Why do men cheat?
Bill & Hillary, Tiger & Elin, Arnold & Maria, Ashton & Demi, Brad & Jennifer—What do these famous couples all have in common?
Infidelity.
So the million dollar question is what are the reasons why people cheat?
Though everyone's individual reasonings and rationalizations for straying may be different, infidelity research over the past 20 years has identified key risk factors. Here's what we know about why people cheat:
1) Men tend to cheat more when dissatisfied sexually, whereas women tend cheat for emotional reasons
2) Being male increases the chances of having extra marital sex, so does being African American
3) People who make over $30K per year are more likely to cheat (disposable income—you have to have money to wine & dine someone or pay for a hotel)
4) Spending long hours at work and traveling without your partner places you at greater risk for infidelity, as well as when only one partner is in the work force
5) People who score low on the Big Five personality traits of “agreeableness” (being compassionate rather than suspicious or antagonistic, being trusting & helpful) and “conscientiousness” (being organized, dependable, having self-discipline, aiming for achievement, and prefer planned rather than spontaneous behavior) are more likely to cheat
6) If it’s the year before a decade birthday, such as age 29, 39, 49, 59, etc. you're more likely to engage in infidleity
7) Cohabitating before marriage makes it more likely for a partner to be unfaithful
8) People who don’t view cheating as wrong are more likely to cheat (duh!)
People who are satisfied in their relationships are less likely to cheat. That makes sense, right? Partners are less likely to be unfaithful when their emotional and physical needs are being met. When you commit to a relationship, it is your responsibility to meet your partner’s needs, and it’s your partner’s responsibility to effectively communicate these needs to you.
Faulty communication and disconnection can lead to straying. No one is a mind reader, though we often expect our partner to know exactly what we are thinking and how we are feeling. When you’re unhappy with something in the relationship, you have to take ownership and assert your needs. Understanding the reasons people cheat can help you prevent this from occurring in your relationship.
You can safeguard your relationship from infidelity by increasing relationship satisfaction. Find out how to do this in my FREE ebook by learning the secret ingredients it takes to cook up a happy love life!