Relationship

According to researchers, this is the #1 reason why women cheat

By Wieke Veenboer | #!31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:000631#31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202531 04am31am-31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:004Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2025312025Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +02000040010amSaturday=9#!31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam10#10-04-2025#!31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:000631#/31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:00-4Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202531#!31Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:00:06 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam10#

Infidelity (unfortunately) happens in many relationships, but the reasons for it vary greatly. At least, that's what I thought, but recent research indicates that this is not entirely the case for women. Apparently, there is a very clear number one reason why they cheat, and it's not what you think. In fact, I would have never guessed this.

Sociologist Alicia Walker conducted this research and came to the surprising conclusion that most women she spoke to indicated they cheat precisely to stay with their partner. Uh... What? How does that work exactly?

woman looks at her phone surprised cheating dating relationship

Alicia Walker faced the same puzzle: she had expected that most women would say they cheat due to dissatisfaction in their relationship or one of the other clichés. But the truth turned out to be very different, and that’s what she ultimately wrote the book The Secret Life of the Cheating Wife: Power, Pragmatism, and Pleasure in Women’s Infidelity about.

According to Walker, all the women she spoke with indicated that it was purely physical; they were looking for someone else who was sexually adventurous like them. Their current partner was not (enough), and that’s why they sought it outside. Precisely because they then became a more fun person in their relationship; their partner benefited more (according to the women) when they had their sexual needs fulfilled elsewhere, and thus their relationship also remained better.

Honestly, this logic completely escapes me; the partners in question were of course unaware. Walker: ‘The women I spoke with cheat to stay married. They don’t cheat out of revenge, to get out of a relationship, or to make their partner notice them because of their bad behavior. It’s none of those things.’

‘They (the women Walker spoke with, ed.) have a very strong feeling that if I don’t do something about this sexual dissatisfaction, I will eventually leave this relationship. Then I break up my family, break my children’s hearts, break my partner’s heart, and I don’t want that.’

Well, to say the least, that’s quite… But it is certainly surprising.

Source: Business Insider