Low sexual and relationship satisfaction, high sexual desire, and lack of love are the most robust predictors of infidelity.
51 studies from various journals were reviewed and showed supportive findings between personality and infidelity. Individuals high in the Dark Triads: psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism were associated with committing infidelity.
Results of a 2005 study show that there is a significant difference between cheaters and non-cheaters when it comes to the Big Five model of personality traits. Poor self control, selfishness, anger, boredom, and attention-seeking are the most common reasons a person is unfaithful in their relationship.
Power certainly may play a role. For instance, in a survey of 1,561 professionals, Joris Lammers, an assistant professor at Tilburg University, and colleagues found that the more power people had, the more likely they were to cheat. Plus, the more power people had, the more confident they were.
According to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), about 20% of married men report cheating on their spouses. Men in all age groups from 30 to over 80 are more likely than women to be guilty of infidelity in a marriage. Married men report their highest rate of infidelity in their 70s.
1. How are most affairs discovered? The phone! While there are text message codes that cheating spouses use to avoid getting caught, there is no denying that mobile phones are a danger zone for adulterers.
Here, experts explain this phenomenon and dispel other popular cheating myths. Fact #1: Most men are still in love with their wives when they cheat. Men who cheat haven't fallen out of love; they've become unsatisfied with the current state of it.
Research in the field of infidelity reveals that there are three distinct personality types correlated with a higher likelihood of cheating: sociopaths, narcissists, and lonely hearts.
A recent study conducted by MSNBC showed that among men making more than $300,000 a year, 32% reported cheating, compared to 21% of men making less than $35,000 a year.
Being insecure
Another reason why someone might cheat is because they are insecure. "Usually, in this scenario, the partner that wants to cheat is seeking out confirmation of their desirability," Winter told INSIDER. "And they use the reinforcement of a new person to bolster their own self-confidence."
People who habitually cheat may do so as a way of dealing with a fear of abandonment, which may stem from low self-esteem. They think that by being with multiple people, they won't be abandoned. Some people cheat repeatedly due to their own insecurities and a deep-seated fear that they are unlovable.
"Researchers find that partnerships characterized by dissatisfaction, unfulfilling sex, and high conflict are at higher risk for infidelity," she says. "Also, the more dissimilar partners are—in terms of personality, education level, and other factors—the more likely they are to experience infidelity."
Things that can trigger flashbacks include spending time with your partner who cheated, romantic sounds, love stories, not hearing from your partner and sometimes they can just come out of the blue when you least expect it. Being betrayed by a loved one can often be traumatic.
Emotional triggers are essentially intrusive emotions and thoughts resulting from the trauma of the infidelity. Similar to PTSD, experiences in your day to day life will quickly remind you of the betrayal, leaving you swept up in a flood of painful thoughts and emotions.
A recent study shows that chronic relationship unhappiness is the single biggest contributor to in-person infidelity. The top predictor of online infidelity is a difference in sexual desire. Researchers note that the infidelity gender gap has narrowed as women's opportunities for cheating have expanded.
In episodes recorded in September 2001, Ingram correctly answered fifteen questions to win the show's maximum prize of £1 million, becoming the third recorded contestant to ever do so. However, he was denied the winnings due to suspicion of cheating.
But when playing for a friend's benefit, those lower on the socioeconomic ladder were more likely to cheat: The folks at the 85th percentile hardly ever cheated, while suddenly those around the 15th percentile cheated about a third of the time.
Sure, you might be thinking men in mid-life are most likely to stray, but it's actually a bit older than that. The infidelity rate among men in their 70s is the highest. Read on to learn more, and if you're worried about your spouse, check out The Biggest Tell-Tale Sign Your Partner Is Cheating, Experts Say.
According to psychologists, people with avoidant attachment styles are individuals uncomfortable with intimacy and are therefore more likely to multiply sexual encounters and cheat.
In many cases, flirting is cheating when your partner doesn't approve or your actions can go against the relationship or your partner. If you're in a committed romantic relationship, you can choose love. Opting to avoid doing the things you know will hurt your partner is a way of doing this.
Among men, 68% feel guilty after having an affair. Even if they haven't confessed the affair, most cheating husbands will feel guilty and express that guilt in their behavior. You may notice subtle changes in their behavior that make you wonder if your spouse is displaying cheating husband guilt.
Cheating doesn't mean your partner doesn't love you or respect you anymore. In fact, it's quite the contrary. If your partner cheats on you, it's because they're doing everything they can to keep the relationship intact while still fulfilling their needs (because everyone has needs, both emotional and sexual).