Are you surprised?
We recently heard one of the most dramatic examples of cheating ever in the red chair on The Graham Norton Show, and it got us thinking about how common cheating in relationships really is.
Some people find it difficult to commit to a monogamous relationship and stray away, ignoring the fact that it’s basically a death sentence for your current relationship.
Researchers from Penn State University have conducted a study to determine just how common cheating is among young adults. They also put together research on how the effects of such a betrayal on married couples versus ones who are dating and living together.
In the study, they analysed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which began following a group of adolescents in 1994 into adulthood.
At the study’s conclusion, the sample ranged in age from 24-32.
They found that a quarter of married and cohabiting young men and women reported that either they, or their partners, or both of them, had sex with someone else while they were still in their current relationship.
The researchers also found that incidences of cheating were similar among married and cohabiting couples, but unmarried couples were more likely than married ones to report that they or their partner had sexual relations with someone else.
And finally, the study discovered that those who reported having sex with other people often didn’t leave their current relationships, but those who reported that they were cheated on, ended their respective relationships with their cheating partner.
Michelle Frisco, associate professor of sociology and demography, and contributor to the study said, “Our results suggest that if young adults can get away with cheating, they are not likely to leave their partner. If they discover infidelity in their partner, however, they exercise far less tolerance. People seem to prefer to play the cheater over the cheated on.”
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