Worried your wife might be cheating on you? Unfortunately, it might not be paranoia. A report from Indiana University found that nearly a fifth of women surveyed admitted to cheating with their current partner, while a study published in the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy found that as many as 55% of married women “engaged in extramarital acts at some point during their marriage.”
If you’re worried that your wife has something to lose, here are the biggest red flags that should titillate you. And if you want to stop a story long before it starts, here are the 10 secrets to keeping your wife happy.
1. She’s in her thirties.
According to infidelity experts, infidelity rates begin to rise among women in their thirties after their 7-year marriage.
2. She works.
Working women are more likely to cheat than stay-at-home moms. And they’re more likely to cheat with a colleague. Ditto with men who cheat. It’s partly a matter of opportunity. We tend to like who we’re with. But it also reflects the reality of today’s office life, where intense parallel work creates deep bonds. But, as you know, it’s not just women who go elsewhere – take a look at these 17 cheating men who got caught stupidly.
3. She earns over $75,000 a year.
The same goes for men. Higher earners are more likely to cheat, because they can afford to buy the bar.
4. She was married before.
Second marriages are more frequent in cases of divorce and adultery than first marriages.
5. One of his parents also cheated on his other half.
Children of cheaters are more likely to repeat the family history… and thus cheat on their spouse in turn.
6. She’s unhappy with you.
Women who say they’re “not too happy” in their marriage are almost four times more likely to have an affair than those who say their marriage is “very happy”, according to a sample of 544 adult adulterers surveyed by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). And nearly half of all women think that an affair is perfectly acceptable if the marriage sucks; it only stays for the children.
7. She has a one-year-old child.
According to a six-year University of Washington study of newlywed couples, two-thirds of wives reported a significant drop in marital satisfaction at this time. A good reason for her to cheat on you?
8. She doesn’t go to church or synagogue or any other religious service.
Women who never attend a religious service are 2.5 times more likely to cheat than those who attend more than once a week, according to NORC survey data.
9. She’s watching “The Bachelorette” while you’re at poker night.
Couples who enter therapy after an affair say they’ve spent less time together than normal couples. Men like to think that once they’re married, they “get it all back”. Then their wives wander off with someone who makes them feel adored again.
10. She has low self-esteem.
One of the main benefits of a relationship is improved ego.
11. She’s a little nuts..
A number of studies suggest that women who tend to be narcissistic and crave sexual variety and excitement are more likely to jump ship than women with fewer neurotic personality traits. It’s especially the friendly, outgoing women who get the most offers.
12. She’s hot.
In that case, let’s face it: she’s got plenty of wooers. People like that get used to being adored and like to be adored again, even as a couple. So there’s a good chance she’s cheating on you.
13. And get hotter.
Has she changed anything in her appearance or habits? Improving her physical appearance is a tactic of choice for “woman poachers”, according to studies by psychologists Buss and Schmitt.
14. She wants you to wear that harness.
If your wife introduces sex toys or has a new favorite position that seems outside her usual repertoire, she might have learned from a substitute teacher.
15. She’s ovulating.
A new study by Steven Gangestad, Ph.D., of the University of New Mexico, reveals that other men’s sexual fantasies about women’s sex almost double during their peak fertility periods. In other words, she thinks about her boss on the very day he might become the father of her next child.
For more relationship tips, here are fifteen ways to impress any woman.
