Despite the fact that infidelity is an increasingly abundant field of research, the truth is that there is little on paper about the prediction of infidelity over time. We are usually interested in the factors underlying infidelity and not how likely it is to happen again.
Anecdotally, what we tend to believe is that if someone has been unfaithful in the past, they will most likely be unfaithful again. Although there is no real way to accurately predict whether a person is going to cheat on their partner, the old saying ‘cheat once, cheat always’ exists for a reason. But how much truth is there in this popular belief?
In an environment where having multiple partners is a social possibility, infidelity , if it exists in romantic relationships, can have different meanings . Thus, for example, certain people may only experience the feeling of infidelity if certain rules specific to the context of the relationship are violated.
It is also true that individuals who experience the same situation in relation to their parents are more likely to be unfaithful – there is no concrete data – since familiarity with a behavior is more likely through social learning and education.
Knowing that our partner has been unfaithful to us can be a deeply disturbing and disorienting experience, making us doubt who we can trust based on that revelation.
Infidelity experiment
The researchers involved 484 single people (329 women and 155 men) who had had at least two relationships in the last five years in order to find out if being unfaithful once tipped the balance to cheat on their partner again or not. . All of the participants were in heterosexual relationships, although experts hope to be able to examine same-sex couples in the future.
Although each person or couple may have a different definition of what it is to ‘cheat’ or be unfaithful, for the study, the researchers typified cheating in participating in a sexual relationship with someone other than the partner.
The volunteers had to fill out a questionnaire every 4-6 months for 5 years, with questions like “Have you had sex with someone other than your partner since you started dating seriously?”
What was the results?
Those who had already been unfaithful were 3 times more likely to cheat again in another romantic relationship. They also found that those who had been cheated on in the past were more likely to find out if their later companions were being unfaithful to them.
“These results suggest that if someone has struggled to be faithful in the past, they should do some personal work to find out why that infidelity took place so that they can avoid repeating those patterns in the future. And if someone has been with a cheating partner in in the past, they may want to pay close attention to any red flags to avoid ending up in that situation again, “explains Kayla Knopp, job leader.
How do you deal with these results? Logically, a study with less than 500 people is a relatively small sample and infidelity is a fairly complex issue that is not limited exclusively to having a sexual relationship with another person who is not our partner. Be that as it may, the study does provide some interesting information about the likelihood that someone who has cheated before will do so again in the future.
Risk factors associated with infidelity
1. Low commitment in the relationship.
2. Decrease in sexual satisfaction and sexual relations.
3. Specific personality traits (eg, neuroticism and decreased acceptance)
4. Permissive attitudes about sex / infidelity.
5. Being in a social context that approves of infidelity.
Referencia: Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater? Serial Infidelity Across Subsequent Relationships. Kayla Knopp et al. 2017. Archives of Sexual Behavior doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-1018-1
