Do Women Cheat As Much As Men Do?
Some research suggests that women have (almost) as many extra-marital affairs as men.
Thanks to the courageous female pioneers of the past few centuries, women now have the same rights as men (thanks Susan B. & co!). Though the sexes still aren't 100 percent equal, us ladies are certainly working hard to be respected as much as our male counterparts. The latest struggle we've almost won? Infidelity!
Yes, ladies can now boast, "I am woman, hear me roar! I can vote like a man, be the boss of a man and dammit, I can cheat like a man, too!" Oh, how far we've come.
Of course, I don't think women who cheat are actually proud of their cheating, nor should they be. However, some interesting results from a new study suggest that although men are commonly stereotyped as the most likely to be unfaithful, women aren't too far behind — if they're behind at all, that is. Researchers from Indiana University and Manchester Metropolitan University found that 20 to 25 percent of guys and 15 to 20 percent of ladies commit extramarital affairs. 10 Signs A Woman Is Cheating: Do They Ring True To You?
What's worse is that the researchers claim the female percentage may be a bit underestimated: Women, in an effort to protect their reputations and relationships, aren't as willing to spill the number of times they've cheated on a partner. So, in short, thanks to unreliable self-reporting, the number could be even higher than 20 percent, putting us ladies even with — or beating — the dudes. Some polls even suggest that half of all females have cheated. Yikes! /node/120084
A gender division is created when it comes to the motivation behind the infidelity, however. Women, say the researchers, cheat for "emotional reasons" — they need to feel desired, they want to feel appreciated, yadda yadda. Meanwhile, men cheat to have more sex. Sadly, this in itself perpetuates the stereotype that women are hyper-emotional and men are driven by their "heads" rather than their, well, heads. So much for smashing stereotypes!
Do you think women cheat as much as men do?
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