Infidelity in Heterosexual Couples: Demographic, Interpersonal, and Personality-Related Predictors of Extradyadic Sex

This study aimed to assess the relative importance of demographic, interpersonal, and personality factors in predicting sexual
infidelity in heterosexual couples. A total of 506 men (M age = 32.86 years, SD = 10.60) and 412 women (M age = 27.66 years, SD = 8.93), who indicated they were in a monogamous sexual relationship, completed a series of questionnaires, including the
Sexual Excitation/Inhibition (SES/SIS) scales and the Mood and Sexuality Questionnaire, and answered questions about, among
others, religiosity, education, income, relationship and sexual satisfaction, and sexual compatibility. Almost one-quarter
of men (23.2%) and 19.2% of women indicated that they had “cheated” during their current relationship (i.e., engaged in sexual
interactions with someone other than their partner that could jeopardize, or hurt, their relationship). Among men, a logistic
regression analysis, explaining 17% of the variance, revealed that a higher propensity of sexual excitation (SES) and sexual
inhibition due to “the threat of performance concerns” (SIS1), a lower propensity for sexual inhibition due to “the threat
of performance consequences” (SIS2), and an increased tendency to engage in regretful sexual behavior during negative affective
states were all significant predictors of infidelity. In women, a similar regression analysis explained 21% of the variance
in engaging in infidelity. In addition to SIS1 and SIS2, for which the same patterns were found as for men, low relationship
happiness and low compatibility in terms of sexual attitudes and values were predictive of infidelity. The findings of this
study suggest that, for both men and women, sexual personality characteristics and, for women, relationship factors are more
relevant to the prediction of sexual infidelity than demographic variables such as marital status and religiosity.