Numerous relationship studies have concluded that a woman is more likely to cheat than a man.
And that woman is more likely to cheat during a major milestone, such as her 30th or 35th birthday: “She’ll think deeply about her love life and its direction, and if it’s not going the way she planned, she might jump at the chance to correct it with an affair,” Don-David Lusterman, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of Infidelity: A Survival Guide, noted in Men’s Health.
But why do women stray?
Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher of Rutgers University found that women are more likely to cheat when there are problems with their primary relationship.
Also, when women cheat, they are more likely than men to become romantically involved with their side lovers.
Conversely, a man will cheat whether he has a close bond to his wife or not and he is less likely to fall in love with his Side Chick.
Undercover Lovers, an extramarital dating site, reported that 57 percent of women felt love for their side men, but only 27 percent of men felt love for their Side Chicks.
When men fall for their Side Chicks, they fall hard, however.
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford comes to mind. In 2009, Sanford disappeared for days while visiting his “soul mate” and mistress, María Belén Chapur. Sanford had separated from his wife, and was kicked out of office over the scandal. Today, Sanford is a congressman and he and Chapur are still going strong.
Top 10 Reasons Why Women Cheat
In 2014, my co-author Helen Goldberg and I (Sex Esteem: Secret Struggles of Wives and Side Chicks) conducted an online infidelity survey; 500 women responded. These are their 10 most popular reasons for cheating.
- She wants to end the current relationship and begin a new one.
- She does not receive love and respect at home.
- She feels disconnected from her primary partner.
- Her primary partner has cheated, and she cheats for revenge.
- She needs validation that she is desired by someone.
- The sex is unfulfilling with her primary partner.
- She seeks the attention of men to validate her worth within her social circle.
- She is psychologically addicted to love, sex, or both.
- She has low self-esteem.
- She cheats to punish or make a partner jealous.
Last but not least, a few dozen women reported that they cheated in their primary relationships with a desire to get caught, and bring that primary relationship to an abrupt end. The authors referred to that behavior as ‘cowardly cheating.’
“Cowardly cheating is dangerous for obvious reasons, there’s emotional pain and it can lead to a physical confrontation,” warns Helen Goldberg. “And it could also backfire, and make your primary partner more determined not to end the relationship. Avoid doing this, at all costs.”
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