Study Examines Gender Differences in Attitudes and Behavior Regarding Extramarital Sex

A new study by researchers in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado finds gender differences in attitudes and behavior regarding extramarital sex.

Examining survey responses from more than 13,000 people, researchers found that 21 percent of men and 13 percent of women reported infidelity at some point in their lifetimes. Some 83 percent of all extramarital affairs were with friends or co-workers and only 17 percent were the result of casual encounters.

In 2016, 76 percent of all survey respondents said extramarital sex was “always wrong.” But women were more likely than men to believe it was always wrong.

Among those who reported having extramarital sex in the past year, men were much more likely than women to have paid for — or to have received payment for — sex, at about 12 percent compared to just 1 percent of women who had an extramarital affair.

Lindsay Labrecque, a doctoral student in psychology and the lead author of the study, stated that “we know infidelity impacts relationship satisfaction. It’s the most common reason given for divorce or separation and it’s a difficult issue to treat in therapy. A better understanding of all the issues related to extramarital sex may help improve treatment.”

The full study, “Attitudes Toward and Prevalence of Extramarital Sex and Descriptions of Extramarital Partners in the 21st Century,” was published on the website of the Journal of Family Psychology. It may be accessed here.