Cheating Statistics – What Type of Person is More Likely to Cheat?

Even if the cheating statistics (by both men and women) are constantly on the rise, let’s not forget that not everyone cheats. While the desire to cheat is a part of our nature, not everyone will be unfaithful. Most men and women do not intend on cheating and do not plan their future affair. Mostly, cheating is situationally driven. Many studies have found that a whopping 90% of people believe that infidelity is wrong. So what type of person is more likely to cheat – and WHY?

Cheating Type #1 – High Sexual Drive

Sexual desire and drive varies from person to person. Some people have a very high sex drive while others are less interested in a lot of sex. It’s obvious than that people with a high sexual drive are more likely to cheat. This trait appears to be genetic in nature. Some people are more easily aroused and driven by simply wanting a lot of sex. Also, serial cheaters were found to be addicted to the excitement of a new affair. In general, men have a higher sexual drive and therefore more likely to cheat.

Cheating Type #2 – Good Looks and Social Skills

To put it in one word, attractiveness is a factor in a person’s likelihood to cheat and in the statistics of cheating. The more attractive a person is the more he is likely to cheat. Attractiveness includes good looks, social skills and resources (like money). A person having all of these is more in demand and thus has more opportunities to cheat.

Type #3 – Freedom and Opportunity

All things being equal, the more free time a person has, the more likely he is to cheat. Husbands on business trips have time, opportunity and the discretion to cheat. An unemployed husband is the same. People who have social lives, busy careers, who travel a lot, are more likely to cheat than couples who spend most of their time together.

Type #4 – Personal Attitude towards Love and Relationships

Deep down all of us know who we are living with. Some people view a relationship as a sacred bond and others see it more as a game, always trying to conquer and control the relationship. The second type mentioned is of course more likely to cheat, because it has no respect to the emotional bond that is a relationship. This type is usually involved in some way with other women (or men).

Type #5 – The Philander

Some people just thing they are entitled to cheat. Their general opinions about gender roles, about their role in society or their cultural upbringing make them believe they have a right to cheat. This type of person is more likely to cheat and also to not feel any remorse or guilt about its actions.

Type #6 – The Sexual Anxiety Sufferer

Men with sexual performance anxiety are more likely to cheat on their spouse. It contradicts common sense at first…You’d think that this type will avoid situations that will lead to performance anxiety, but strangely enough, that’s not the case if you look at the infidelity statistics.

For both men and women, personality characteristics and interpersonal factors are more relevant predictors than are religion, marital status, education or gender.

(These finding were recently published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior)