A cheating egg. Somewhat different from a cheating heart.
Well, here’s depressing news: In relationships in which the woman makes more than the man, the man is more likely to cheat, according to a study from Cornell University. And in relationships where either the woman or the man makes significantly more money, they’re both more likely to cheat.
Evidently making much less bank than his significant other threatens a man’s ideas of himself as the king of the castle, so he looks elsewhere to boost his fragile male ego. (Or so the theory goes.) And women and men making more tend to have ample opportunities to fool around—they might travel more, work longer hours, etc.
The relationships that were most infidelity free were the ones in which both partners made a relatively equal amount of cash, or when the woman made slightly less (about 75 percent of what the man made). And couples who were more educated or attended regular religious services were less likely to stray.
But here’s what I wonder about: These numbers came from a study of 9,000 people beginning in 1997, when they were children, and these results come from the years 2001-2007, when participants were between 18 and 28 years old.
So included in the 7 percent of men who cheated and 3 percent of women who cheated were, well, some pretty young adults. They weren’t necessarily married, and they weren’t necessarily particularly mature. I know plenty of people who did stupid things while they were in college who wouldn’t dream of cheating on their spouses now that they’re older and married.
I’d be more impressed if these results came from couples in their 30s or 40s with established careers and years-long relationships.
Where’s that study?
(Image from joyjwaller on Flickr.)
