How to Predict Whether Your Significant Other Is a Cheater

David Compton/flickr
Rebecca Greenfield 7,597 Views Jul 26, 2011

Wouldn't it be nice to know if your significant other were predisposed to cheating before you engaged in a relationship with him or her? Well, now you can, so long as you trust researchers. People with sexual performance anxiety are more likely to cheat on their partners, finds a study in the journal of Archives of Sexual Behaviour. And this isn't the only trait which corresponds with extramarital affairs.

If your man or woman has issues in the bedroom, apparently it's relatively likely they're getting it somewhere else (although, for women, relationship quality is really the big factor). But, unfortunately for women, the other side of the coin also predicts infidelity. Men who are easily sexually aroused are also more likely to wander, the study finds. You need to find that man who can get it up, but not all the time.

Even if you haven't yet slept with your partner, other traits have been linked to cheating. Risk-takers (surprise-surprise) sneak around, the study finds. Extroverts, also known as, big flirts, cheat, a European Journal of Personality study found. Grouches--the Woody Allen types--tend to taste the forbidden fruit: Low agreeableness, low conscientiousness and neuroticism were all predictors of infidelity.  Even the way you connect with your parents can predict how you'll act in a relationship. Those with attachment issues as a child also grow up to have attachment issues with their lovers, a University of Montreal study showed.

So next time you pick a partner, think to yourself: are they the cheating type? Maybe Anthony Weiner, an extroverted politician, took those photos because he was easily aroused, but not with his wife, and he just wanted to prove it could happen. Is that something your significant other might do?

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at rgreenfield at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Topics: ,
Related Articles   More by Rebecca Greenfield

Self-Doubt Makes You Better at Jump-Rope

U.S. Infected Guatemalans With Syphilis

Words of Wisdom from the World's Oldest Man

 

3 Fun & Easy Tips for Spending Your 2013 Memorial Day BBQ... with Cicadas

iPhone's New iOS7 Design Is Flat as Hell and You Can't Stand the Wait Anymore

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App