11 Scientific Facts About Cheating
11.
You’re more likely to cheat in the afternoon- Ethic researchers of Harvard University conducted
a morality test that put 274 adults through four trials during different times in the
day.
They found that their volunteers had a higher level of self-control and moral consciousness
in the daytime and were likely to participate in unethical behavior including cheating during
the afternoon.
Also known as the “morning morality effect,” the results show that our willpower is a delicate
mental state that decreases the more you use it or as the day goes on.
In the end, it turns out our morality is like dieting.
It’s easier to do the right thing at the start of your day, so when it comes to decision
making like cheating consider the best time of day to make a moral choice on whether or
not you want to follow through with that decision.
10.
Women in ovulation desire other people.- According to a 2011 research report on PsychologyToday.com
scientists have learned that women who were two weeks into ovulation had an inclination
in the desire for another person other than their partner.
Three researchers studied women who did not take birth control and examined their monthly
patterns of sexual longing for someone else other than their current mate as they entered
ovulation.
However after the women stopped ovulating, the women’s feelings of fantasizing desires
stopped.
Scientists at the University of St. Andrews and St. Aberdeen also discovered that women
with low progesterone before ovulation are more likely to have adulterous affairs.
But when a woman’s progesterone levels are increased during the second half of her cycle,
she is likely to stay committed to her partner as the
9.
Cheating men may be more likely to get heart attacks- In a 2012 study, researchers have
found that extramarital affairs outside of the home were linked with a higher risk of
cardiovascular risks, including fatal heart attacks.
Possible reasons for the correlation could include stress to keep the relationship a
secret, a guilty conscience and keeping up the demands of the affair.
Back in January 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined postmortem
records of 5,559 people who died suddenly from heart complications.
They found that 75% percent of those individuals who died during sex were having extramarital
sex.
It’s suspected that a secret sexual relationship in unfamiliar settings with a secret lover
can induce a higher heart rate and increased blood pressure resulting in increased oxygen
demand.
8.
Men and women see cheating differently- Cheating on a loved one can have serious consequences
which can even end the relationship.
However, how we define cheating varies from person to person and men and women have different
opinions on what constitutes cheating.
Adultery at one point was just considered a physical act, but in today’s society emotional
attachments to other people are is also seen as infidelity.
Emotional cheating, whether it involves sex or not is having a meaningful relationship
with someone else other than your mate.
Researchers found that men were distressed at the thought of their partners enjoying
sex with another person, while women were more concerned about their spouses being emotionally
involved with another person than physically intimate.
With these research results, it ultimately comes down to having respect for your partner
and being aware of what actions define actual cheating.
7.
Men usually cheat with women they know- Intimacy expert Mary Jo Rapini states that a lot of
women think cheating women are promiscuous, which isn’t true.
Often, men will cheat with someone they know like a childhood friend, coworker or business
partner because of a closer connection.
And these relationships usually begin as friendships first and start to grow over time.
According to an article on Focusonthefamily.com, a study conducted from 1991 to 2000 discovered
that 62% of men treated by psychologist Shirley Glass were involved in an affair with someone
from work.
She advises that people in relationships should draw boundaries on what is appropriate and
what isn’t when it comes to friends, work, and other activities to protect their union.
6.
Women cheat when they feel undervalued- According to mental health counselor Stacey Brown, one
of the biggest factors of women having an affair is when she feels unappreciated and
unhappy in her current relationship.
While this can mean different things for people, generally if a woman feels ignored or dismissed
by her mate then she tends to open herself up to other options.
Usually, cheating happens with the first person who comes into their lives to fill the empty
void.
If she is feeling alone and disconnected in her relationship and then someone else comes
along and expresses interest, then she is likely to cheat.
During this time, they may also experience stress or have a low self-esteem and may fish
for validation through sexual or romantic activity.
5.
Social Media extends cheating opportunities- With social networking sites becoming an integral
part of our everyday lives, it’s no surprise that social media has added immense pressure
in relationships.
Social psychology professor Benjamin Karney, from the University of California, said people
who are willing to cheat would turn to social media as an opportunity to engage in love
affairs.
Experts say social media sites add fuel to the fire and sometimes people compare their
relationships negatively to relationships they see on Facebook.
But people only post the good stuff, so there’s a blurred line of what’s happening in reality.
4.
Fake orgasms could lead to cheating- A 2013 study found that women who faked orgasms were
more likely to cheat in their relationship.
Researchers studied 138 females in romantic partnerships and learned that infidelity was
linked to the number of faked orgasms she had.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller who examined the results claimed that the more orgasms she faked the
chances of the likelihood of cheating again increased.
Reasons for faking intimacy could include dissatisfaction, poor communication and the
inability to.
He believed that women who were sexually satisfied in their relationships were content and reported
that their mates were invested in the relationship.
3.
Men get friskier with their wives when infidelity begins- If you notice a change in your partner’s
sex drive, this should raise an eyebrow.
Intimacy expert Mary Jo Rapini states that when a guy starts to enter an adulterous affair,
he may start to become sexually hyperactive.
It usually means that his sex drive has been turned on and his current partner is still
the one he feels most comfortable with and will display this behavior when they are intimate.
She advises to keep an out for these signs.
If you notice that he’s aggressive or different, keep a lookout.
Also be on your toes for his behavior afterward like a light switch going on and off.
After the infidelity is solid, he might also start to pull away and isolate himself.
2.
Higher levels of hormones could encourage cheating- Back in 2015 Harvard University
and the University of Texas conducted a study on 117 people in which U.S. researchers discovered
that higher levels of cortisol and testosterone encouraged unethical behavior including cheating.
Cortisol is responsible for our flight or fight response during high times of stress,
while testosterone determines our sex drive and muscle development in men.
They found that participants with higher levels of cortisol have more reason to cheat due
to higher stress levels.
This hormone is linked to a solid state of constant stress that can be incredibly draining.
Meanwhile, elevated levels of testosterone minimize the fear of punishment while heightening
sensitivity to reward.
After the study, Professor Josephs and his group believe that the exact cause of cheating
may be more chemical than anything else.
What do you think?
1.
Who cheats more?- Researchers from an Indiana University surveyed 900 participants and discovered
that men and women cheat at the same rate.
However, relationship expert Charles Orlando states the reasons for cheating are completely
different.
He explains that online affairs despite no physical contact is the most damaging type
of infidelity because being emotionally attached to another person indicates you’ve checked
out of your marriage.
But it’s it’s just physical contact, it’s less about the connection and more about a
serious regret.
Although, this doesn’t excuse cheating and it’s more about sexual beliefs, implications,
previous problems and communication that need to be addressed in the relationship prior
and how to handle it if your mate cheats.