Men Cheat More Than Women

 Posted on September 20, 2013 in Family Law

Infidelity has long been cited as one of the most common reasons for divorce. According to InfidelityFacts.com, 53 percent of marriages end in divorce, and in 41 percent of all marriages one or both spouses admitted to infidelity (either physical or emotional). Just slightly more men than women admit to being unfaithful (57 percent vs. 54 percent), according to InfidelityFacts.com. The idea that men cheat more often than women is a commonly accepted fact, and, according to a recent study conducted by Texas A&M University and reported upon by the Huffington Post, there’s an actual physiological reason for this inkling. “It’s males’ stronger sexual impulses—and not their lack of self-control—that could be to blame” when it comes to their increased rates of cheating and infidelity. 

Natasha Tidwell, one of the main researchers and authors of the study, said in a press release that “when men reflected on their past sexual behavior, they reported experiencing relatively stronger impulse and acting on those impulses than women did.” Researchers found that there wasn’t an obvious difference between men and women when it came to self-control. In one of the studies that contributed to the report, “researchers used a rapid-response test on 326 men and 274 women in which participants were shown photos of potential romantic partners and asked whether or no they’d like to enter into a romantic relationship with that person.” Men were more likely to choose people that were deemed attractive, or desirable, despite not necessarily being a good fit.

And yet infidelity may not be the most common reason for divorce, at least at not any more. According to a different Huffington Post article, a U.K. study recently found that “modern couples are much more likely to cite unreasonable behavior as the cause of their splits.” In the 1970s, nearly 30 percent of divorces were blamed on cheating, compared to only 15 percent today.

If you or someone you know is considering divorce, especially if your spouse was a cheat, don’t go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Illinois family law attorney today.