This Factor May Make Your Partner More Likely to Cheat

 Posted on December 19, 2017 in Divorce

Unfaithfulness in a marriage is unfortunately common. In fact, surveys show that one or both spouses admit to cheating in one-third of marriages. Men admit to cheating at an average of 22 percent, while approximately 14 percent of women admit to cheating. As any couple who has dealt with infidelity knows, cheating can take a serious toll on a relationship or marriage. There is no surefire way to predict if a partner will cheat on their significant other, but new research has shed light on the reasons that some people cheat.

Researchers from Texas Tech University and the University of Nevada Reno studied the childhoods of adults that ended up cheating on their significant other. They defined cheating as “concealment of behaviors and the resulting emotional fallout” it causes. The researchers discovered that individuals who had parents who were unfaithful to each other were more likely to cheat on their partner as adults. According to the researchers, social learning theory accounts for this trend. Basically, children whose parents cheated on each other are more likely to cheat as adults. The research team found that people whose parents were unfaithful were more likely to accept the favorability of infidelity. This made them more likely to be unfaithful themselves in future relationships.

How Parents Talk to Kids About Cheating Matters

The authors of the study also scrutinized the role of parental communication regarding infidelity. Some children whose parents are engaging in an affair are never aware of it. Other times, children overhear conversations or arguments and learn of the infidelity. Researchers found that parental communication regarding infidelity was a greater influence on the faithfulness of the adults surveyed than the incidence of infidelity from their parents. They concluded that the conversations that children’s parents had with them regarding infidelity were very significant in determining future cheating behavior. The take away message is that exploring the role of family communication about infidelity with your partner could help you understand his or her perspective about cheating. An honest conversation about infidelity could help prevent problems in your relationship before they begin.

Considering Divorce?

Some relationships can recover and eventually thrive again after a partner cheats, but for other relationships, an incidence of infidelity is devastating. If you have decided to divorce your spouse because he or she was unfaithful, you need a compassionate, knowledgeable Lombard family law attorney at your side. Call 630-426-0169 and let us help you figure out the next steps moving forward.

Sources:

https://www.trustify.info/blog/infidelity-statistics-2017

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e962/d401df0a0dffd10a8b56e3abfcb14f5fe4ad.pdf