There are many reasons why both men and women are tempted to commit infidelities . We have talked about this issue on several occasions in Psychology and Mind , but we have not yet echoed one of the recurring questions on this subject: Which gender practices infidelity more?

In addition, we can ask ourselves other questions about the same thing: do men or women feel more guilty when they commit an infidelity? What are the reasons that lead one or the other to commit adultery? Today we are going to go deeper into this thorny issue.

Infidelity: is it a question of sex(s)?

It seems that times have changed, and also in terms of sexual relations. A survey published by SexPlace reveals that, at least in Spain, women would be more unfaithful on average than men . The popular belief that men are the ones who most often cheat on their partners would be contradicted by these data.

Women cheat more…

The survey was conducted with a sample of 500 people who answered anonymously to a series of questions related to their relationships and infidelity. The results, although adjusted, may indicate a curious trend: 52% of the women admitted having been unfaithful to their partner or ex-partner on some occasion .

Among the male gender, “only” 48 percent of men said they had ever cheated on their current partner.

You may be interested in: “Overcoming infidelity: 5 keys to success”

Fantasies and other motivations for committing adultery

The survey also yielded other interesting data showing some significant differences between men’s and women’s extramarital sexual behaviour. For example, up to 80% of women admitted to having sexual fantasies with a partner in their work environment . Broad coincidence.

The survey also found that women feel more emotionally connected in their affairs, while men are more likely to commit infidelity simply to satisfy their sexual desire with a new person.

The psychology behind the deception

Other motivations that would lead some people to have intimate relationships behind their partners’ backs would be related to ego, the need to feel “more manly” or “more female” when having contacts with other people.

Finally, the study highlighted that another common reason for committing infidelity is the feeling of being undervalued by their current partners, or the low frequency and quality of intimate relationships with their regular partner. Another reason mentioned, and also important, is the poor communication between the members of the couple .