Our relationship expert Kimile Pendleton was here talking about why people cheat. Both males and females attempt to increase their evolutionary progress by seeking out high-quality mates. Evolutionary psychologists suggested that men are more likely to have extramarital sex, because of the male's urge to "spread genes" through sperm.
Family and cheating
"Although marriage implies multiple obligations, the obligation to be sexually faithful to one's spouse seems to carry the most weight. In fact, infidelity is the marital problem most likely to lead to divorce," Paul Amato, a professor of sociology at Penn State told LiveScience.
Psychologists show that men are driven to cheat primarily by the lure of sex, while women because of emotional neglect and emotional intimacy. In our modern society, the percentage of cheating women is rising, because of the ease to travel to places where they can remain anonymous and their increasing economical power, which makes them less dependent on their husbands.
A 1994 study showed that throughout their lifetime, 18% of women and 24% of men cheated on their spouse. Still, a 2006 survey showed that about 90% of the Americans view extramarital sex as intolerable.
Gender reactions
Both genders react similarly to cheating, feeling rage, sadness, humiliation, and depression. Nevertheless, the biological evolutionary factors make men give more importance to the sexual side of infidelity, while women rather focus on the emotional side. Come to think of it, this is only normal: a cheating woman might force her husband to raise kids that are not his, thus who do not carry his genes. On the other hand, the wife is 100% the mother of the kids, and a husband falling in love with another woman may redirect the resources of the household, necessary for raising the kids, towards another direction.
This explains why women are more likely to forgive an affair not involving emotions, while also being more prone to forgive a husband that had been busted in the act. On the other hand, even if men are not that concerned about the emotional connection between their wives and a lover, they still dislike their wives fooling around. Women also tend to take the family into account when pondering the possibility of a split.
Men are generally more affected by stressful reactions and perceive cheating as something more directed to him and his manhood, rather than to the relationship itself. "Wives are also less likely to consider divorce if they are economically dependent on their husbands, have children or hold strong religious views," Amato said. "Nevertheless, most wives at least consider the option of divorce," said Amato.
