That muse o’mine Jade Walker has struck again. This time she sent me a link to an article in the Health section of the New York Times entitled “Love, Sex and the Changing Landscape of Infidelity” by Tara Parker-Pope. Women, brace yourselves. As the article put it, “women appear to be closing the adultery gap.”
Infidelity on the Rise
Apparently there’s an increase in both older women (and men) as well as newly married couples being unfaithful, according to the National Science Foundation’s General Social Survey. They’ve been tracking “the opinions and social behaviors of Americans since 1972.” (What a tagline that is: Our business is tracking you!)
Comparing data from 1991 to 2006, the study found for men over 60 their lifetime infidelity rate had gone up from 20 percent in 1991 to 28 percent in 2006. It had also increased for over 60 women. It was only five percent in 1991, but had jumped to 15 percent in 2006.
The increases weren’t as dramatic for those in “relatively new marriages” (defined as people under age 35 by the report’s standards), but there were increases from 1991 to 2006. For men it was 20 percent admitting to infidelity, and 15 percent for women in 2006, compared to 15 percent for men and 12 percent for women in 1991.
Hard to Get an Honest Answer
The article also brought something else up that was interesting. It’s hard to get a true number of just how many people cheat because people aren’t always honest when answering these types of questions. That’s why estimates on infidelity statistics can vary so much amongst different studies.
One thing that seemed to make a difference was how questions were asked. The article pointed to a study conducted by the University of Colorado and Texas A&M that was published in The Journal of Family Psychology. Researchers tried a two-prong approach: by interviewing respondents (all women) face-to-face and asking them about their faithfulness, then by letting the same women fill out anonymous questionnaires. One percent of women admitted to affairs in the face-to-face interviews compared to six percent on the anonymous questionnaires. (Keep in mind it was the same women answering the questions both times.)
Theories
While women still don’t cheat as much as men, we are cheating more. Why?
One theory posed in the article suggested medicines that help keep our bodies healthy for sex (like Viagra for men or estrogen therapies for women) make sex something people can still do.
Another theory suggested the availability of pornography on the Internet is what’s to blame for the increase in younger people cheating more. Apparently this might “affect sexual attitudes and perceptions of ‘normal’ behavior.” Yes, it just might do that.
One theory that wasn’t posited, but which is along the same vein as the Internet theory, is the effect of TV, music, and movies. Infidelity seems to plague most entertainment these days, and monkey see monkey do, after all.
As for why women are cheating more, they have more opportunities than they once did. Men aren’t the only ones working late hours at the office these days.
And there was some speculation that the number of women who cheat may be even higher than what studies show. As a Dr. Fisher was quoted in the article as saying, “Is it that men are bragging about it and women are lying to everybody including themselves?”
That is possible.
Something Uplifting to Think About
Okay, infidelity happens and is apparently on the rise, however it’s not as bad as it seems. We’re not all doomed to having to deal with unfaithful spouses. (Or to being one, as the case might be.)
I’ll leave you with my favorite line from the article: “While infidelity rates do appear to be rising, a vast majority of people still say adultery is wrong, and most men and women do not appear to be unfaithful.” (Emphasis added.)
Courtney Mroch writes about animals great and small in Pets and the harmony and strife that encompasses married life in Marriage. For a full listing of her articles click here.
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Ten Signs That Your Spouse May Be Cheating
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