It may seem harsh to delve into the reasons behind why women cheat, especially considering that numerous studies have found that men are more likely to cheat. However, that is exactly what we’re going to do. Researchers from the esteemed Oxford University in England and Melbourne University in Australia conducted a pre-registered survey of 254 individuals from 19 countries across six continents who were previously or currently engaged in infidelity.
The participants in the study were comprised of 116 women and 138 men, all of whom were in heterosexual relationships. The women were asked to assess their partner’s attractiveness based on their belief in their ability to be a good parent, their attraction to their partner’s personality, and their physical attraction to them. They were then asked to rate the person they had an affair with using the same criteria, and their scores were compared.
The authors of the study, Macken Murphy, Caroline A. Phillips, and Khandis R. Blake, designed the questions to seek answers to their hypotheses. They stated, “While scholars generally agree that men’s infidelity evolved to increase offspring quantity, the evolutionary drivers of women’s infidelity remain a subject of debate. The ‘good genes’ hypothesis suggests that infidelity allows women to select the preferred genes of an affair partner while remaining bonded with their primary partner’s investment. Alternatively, the mate-switching hypothesis argues that infidelity helps women find a new mate without a period of deprivation.”
The questionnaire consisted of multiple-choice questions regarding attractiveness. To provide an example, the responses for the physical attraction question included options such as “He was very sexy looking,” “I didn’t like the way he looked,” “He was somewhat ugly,” “I thought he was quite handsome,” and “I found him very attractive physically.” The majority of the participants were from three countries: South Africa (104), the UK (40), and Mexico (35).
What the researchers discovered seemed to support the “good genes” hypothesis. They concluded, “Our pre-registered analyses found that women rated their affair partners as significantly more physically attractive but significantly less parentally attractive (i.e., less desirable as co-parents) in support of the ‘good genes’ hypothesis.” The average physical attraction score of the affair partners was 1.93 points higher than that of the primary partners, while the parental attraction score was 3.33 points lower.
Interestingly, the researchers found no support for the mate-switching hypothesis. There was no effect of partner type on mate value ratings or personal attraction. Speaking about the study, one of the researchers, Murphy, explained, “The evolutionary drivers of female infidelity in humans is an area of vigorous debate in my part of academia. In a way, there are too many good explanations for it!”
This study sheds light on the complexities of human behavior, particularly when it comes to infidelity. While this research specifically focused on women’s infidelity, it is important to remember that every individual and relationship is unique. Understanding the underlying motivations can help promote healthy communication and relationships.
