Recent studies are beginning to show a reversal in the pervasive myth that men are more likely to cheat than women.
—
The General Social Survey, a study that collects information about infidelity biennially, among other cultural trends, finds that women are more likely to cheat now than they were back in 1972, when the survey began. Many responses to the MSNBC.com/iVillage survey, which polled more than 70,000 middle-aged men and women in committed relationships, indicated this trend as well. Here are some interesting findings:
- Between 1991 and 2010, the percentage of women who have reported having an extramarital affair has increased by 4.1%, from 10.6% to 14.7%. As for men, there has been little change in the percentage of those who have reported cheating.
- The percentage difference between men and women reporting cheating spiked to 12% in 2000 and has been in the single digits ever since.
- Nearly half of all men and women have cheated on a significant other at some point in their lives.
- Around 35% of men and women cheated with a co-worker.
- The online affair website Ashley Madison sees a sharp decline in the gender disparity when you compare older people on the site to younger people. There is no gender disparity for users in their 30s, whereas users older than 65 are 14 times more likely to be men.
Several reasons have been offered to explain these trends. There are more women in the workplace now than ever before, which means they are interacting more with potential partners than they had before. Also, women are less reliant on their spouses for financial stability, which might have deterred them from cheating before. Another pervasive trend is the shift in attitudes about women’s libidos and desire. New science is beginning to suggest that women possess libidos just as high as men. Of course, we must also take into account the fact that women might have been underreporting their extramarital encounters in greater numbers than men because they faced greater stigma.
Bottom line: Men aren’t all dogs who are slaves to their unique biology. Cultural expectations most likely have influenced the relative prevalence of cheating. As societal norms change, it will be interesting to see how these statistics shift.
Sources: Love, Lust, and Loyalty Survey ; Bloomberg
—
Photo: Getty Images