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We’re not going to lie, the news that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner called it quits because of alleged cheating (Ben, we still want to believe you didn’t…), and the recent leaking of details of people using the cheating website Ashley Madison, has kind of shaken our faith in monogamous love.
Which got us thinking, are there any foolproof ways to figure out whether you, or your partner, are preconditioned to cheat? Well apparently you can, to an extent. Here are eight things that indicate a person is more likely to cheat, according to science, that is.
1. They have a deep voice.
Find deep voices sexy? Turns out so do a lot of us – which is why researchers in a 2014 study found that men with lower-pitches voices are perceived as more likely to commit infidelity.
2. It’s in their biological make up.
A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Pyschology found that hormonal reactions could be the reason behind a humans being’s decisions to cheat.
Participants were asked to complete a maths test then self-report the amount of correct answers they worked out. They were also told that the more correct answers they got, the greater the reward would be.
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From saliva samples, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Texas found that not only do high levels of the reproductive hormone testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol make a person more likely to behave in a dishonest way (including fraud and cheating), but the endocrine-regulatory system in their body actually rewards them for it. (Post continues after gallery.)
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3. They’re male.
No, it’s not just a stereotype sadly, scientific studies have found men are more likely to cheat than their female counterparts for a range of reasons.
While previous research has suggested it’s because they have weaker self-control, two 2013 studies conducted by the University of Texas found that men have stronger sexual impulses which they are more likely to act on.
4. They're economically dependent on their partner
The more economically dependent a person is on their partner, the more likely they are to cheat, according to a study released in June this year. And men in this position most likely to stray.
Published in the American Sociological Review, researchers found that men who are not the primary breadwinners have a 15 per cent likelihood of cheating compared to a five per cent likelihood when women are not the primary breadwinners.
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"The findings indicate people like feeling relatively equal in their relationships - people don't like to feel dependent on another person," said study author Christin L. Munsch, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. (Post continues after gallery.)
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5. They have the infidelity gene
Yes, it's a thing. A 2014 study by Dr Zietsch, a psychologist at the University of Queensland, found that women who carry certain variants of the vasopressin receptor gene are more likely to commit infidelity.
Vasopressin is a hormone that affects social behaviours such as trust, empathy and sexual bonding, so alterations to the gene that moderates this can affect our sexual behaviour.
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Examining the link between promiscuity and specific variants of vasopressin and oxytocin receptor genes of over 7,000 subjects, researchers were able to attribute 40 per cent of the variation in promiscuous behaviour in women to their genes.
Previous studies have also found links between the dopamine D4 receptor gene variation with infidelity and sexual promiscuity.
6. They make significantly more money than their partner
There's a reason you always hear about the affairs of sportstars, billionaires and politicians.
On the flipside, the same study also found that men who make more than 70 per cent of the couple's total income are also increasingly more likely to stray compared to relationships where there is no or little difference to earnings, as they know their partner is dependent on them and believe that they will not leave them even if they cheat.
"They also might be cheating in search of a partner who will contribute more economically to the relationship," says Munsch.
What signs do you think indicate someone is more likely to cheat?
