The workplace is where most affairs begin. It doesn't hurt that we usually dress nicely and are on “good behavior” at work. Plus, having shared passions about projects (or mutual annoyance at a boss or co-worker) provides the perfect breeding ground for an affair.
Prevalence: Extramarital Affairs/Infidelities are common. Most estimates indicate that around 60% of men and 45% of women are willing to report that an affair has occurred sometime in their marriage and it suggests that 70% of all marriages experience an affair.
According to data from Durex, the likelihood of somebody cheating on their partner depends heavily on their nationality. Their data reveals that 51 percent of Thai adults have admitted having an affair, the highest rate worldwide. Danes are also likely to play away, along with Italians.
* Think affairs happen during the evening, you'd be wrong. Married people are typically home with each other at night, if that suddenly changed it would raise too many red flags. The majority of married people will conduct their affairs in the morning, before work.
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.
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.
In fact, the study, which looked at data from the General Social Survey in the U.S., found that 20 per cent of married people over the age of 55 have engaged in extramarital sex, while only 14 per cent of couples under 55 are said to have cheated. Those in their 50s and 60s, however, were the most likely to cheat.
Research from the past two decades shows that between 20 and 25 percent of married men cheat and between 10 and 15 percent of married women cheat, according to professor Nicholas Wolfinger.
How long extramarital affairs last varies: about 50% may last between the period of one month to a year affair, long term affairs may last long-term, for about 15 months or more, and about 30% of affairs last about two years and beyond. Some even last for a lifetime.
With age, cheating has become more prevalent. Men in their 60s report having a higher rate of infidelity (24%), with the number still increasing until ages 70-79, with 26% of men cheating on their partners.
It is suggested by some that for the past 30 years, men have been cheating more often than women and continue to have extramarital sex and relationships more often than women.
Despite changing gender norms, men are still more likely to cheat than women. According to recent data gathered from the General Social Survey, 20% of married men and 13% of married women admitted to having sex with someone other than their spouse.
An affair is generally a sign things aren't right with someone's relationship. Without the necessary skills to heal the issues, a partner may engage in an affair as an ill-equipped way of attempting to have their needs fulfilled – whether these be for intimacy, to feel valued, to experience more sex, and so on.
Finally, 63 percent of adulterers have been caught at some point — so if you're fooling around, chances are good that it's going to come out, one way or another. So how are people most commonly getting caught having an affair? Here's what the survey found.
While infidelity and adultery are often considered to be immoral behaviours, they are not crimes in Australia. In fact, since 1994, there have been federal laws in place under section 4 the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act 1994, which essentially allows sexual behaviour to occur between consenting adults.
For the betrayed spouse, stages of an affair being exposed can involve everything from denial, shock, reflection, depression to finally taking an upward turn.
Since cheating means different things to different people, it may not come as a surprise if someone says kissing does not count as cheating. In fact, according to a survey conducted by BBC Radio 5 Live, 73 per cent of women consider kissing as cheating but only 50 per cent men count it as an act of betrayal.
Interestingly, when it comes to the frequency of contacting, 47 per cent said they are in touch with the person they are cheating with one or two times a day, while 42 per cent contact their spouse once or twice daily also.
There is a small amount of research that suggests cheating could be genetic. According to experts, people can absorb behaviors, like cheating, from their caretakers. Just because someone might be more inclined to cheat, that doesn't mean they will act on it.
Yes, it is possible for someone to fall in love with an affair partner, although it can be a complicated and emotionally fraught experience. These relationships have trust issues due to how they began. In order to make the relationships work, the couple needs to work diligently at trust.
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.
Being cheated on
Cheaters actually have a deep-seated fear of betrayal themselves. They often feel suspicious and rejected in relationships and use this as an excuse to step out on their partners. Cheating gives philandering folks a feeling of power and control in their lives and relationships.