The #1 Predictor Someone Is Going to Cheat (According to Research)

Many people think that cheating just happens, that it’s a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s often excused as having one too many drinks.

But the reality is that cheating can be predicted.

There’s one factor that science has found more strongly linked to cheating than anything else. Let’s take a closer look at what it is and how it may apply to your relationship.

The Strongest Predictor of Cheating

According to a 2017 study, the biggest predictor of cheating is when someone has cheated in the past.

The study’s researchers followed people across multiple relationships. What they found was that people who had cheated in a past relationship were more than three times as likely to cheat again in a future relationship.

These findings suggest that cheating isn’t always a one-time mistake. It’s not always just a matter of being unhappy in your current relationship or falling into temptation. It tells us that for some people, cheating is a behavioral problem that isn’t always easy to break.

How Cheating Once Increases the Odds of Future Cheating

Psychological research shows that when someone violates a moral boundary once, they may experience something known as moral disengagement. The more often someone cheats, the less guilty they feel about it in the future.

One study found that the brain becomes less sensitive to dishonesty over time. This makes it easy for cheaters to repeat their behavior again in the future.

But Not Everyone Who’s Cheated Once Will Cheat Again

It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone who cheats once will cheat again in the future. Researchers have found that cheating once doesn’t mean you will always cheat in future relationships.

But cheating in a previous relationship increases the likelihood that you’ll do again — not only significantly but more than any other factor that raises the odds of cheating.

The Question You Should Ask Someone You’re Dating

When you first start dating someone, there’s one important question that you might want to ask them. And that’s: “Have you ever cheated on someone in a previous relationship?”

Some people will be honest about it. Others may lie. But if the person you’re dating is honest, you can decide if you want to continue a relationship with them. And if you do, you can be aware that this risk factor may exist in your relationship, with higher odds than it would with someone who has never cheated.

Being aware of the risks can help you notice any red flags of cheating. It might also help you avoid choosing to be in a committed relationship with them and the future heartbreak that could come with that decision.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.