The more financially dependent a man is in his relationship, the more likely he is to be unfaithful to his partner. This is the conclusion of the latest study carried out by the University of Connecticut in Storrs (USA) and collected by the American Sociological Review .
The work analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth with a sample of 2,750 married people aged between 18 and 32 years . Although there is a saying that says “do not bite the hand of the one who feeds you”, in this case the opposite seems to be evident.
The conclusions of the study, led by Christin Munsch, reveal that, for women, if it is men who earn the most money in marriage or are even totally dependent on their husbands, approximately 5% of them will be unfaithful to their partner . In the opposite case, the probability of having an affair outside of marriage is 15% for economically dependent men. Three more times.
“Extramarital sex allows men subjected to a threat to their masculinity – that is, because they are not the main economic supporter of the relationship – to participate in behaviors culturally associated with masculinity. For men, especially young men, the dominant definition of masculinity is hyphenated in terms of sexual virility and conquest , particularly with regard to multiple sexual partners. Thus, participation in infidelity can be a way to restore threatened masculinity ”, clarifies Munsch.
However, the study also revealed a surprising counterpoint: if most of the income in the marriage came from the man, it also tipped the balance towards infidelity on his part .
“Considering actors, athletes or politicians and their regular infidelities in the media , I was not surprised to find that men who earn much more than their wives are more likely to be unfaithful than men in balanced relationships. economically, ”Munsch concludes.
