Promiscuity as a Strong Predictor of Infidelity

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> approximately half of women in the top quintiles of sociosexuality [*def*. willingness to engage in sexual activity outside of a committed relationship] had been sexually unfaithful to a steady partner; this was more than a tenfold increase over the corresponding rate for people in the bottom quintiles.

Bailey, J. M., Kirk, K. M., Zhu, G., Dunne, M. P., & Martin, N. G. (2000). *Do individual differences in sociosexuality represent genetic or environmentally contingent strategies? Evidence from the Australian twin registry*. Journal of personality and social psychology, 78(3), 537–545. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.3.537

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> In illustration of this, the odds ratio of 1.13 for lifetime sexual partners obtained with the face-to-face mode of interview indicates that the probability of infidelity increased by 13% for every additional lifetime sexual partner,

[screenshot](https://imgur.com/a/s1n40)

> Regarding the correlates of infidelity, results indicated that on the basis of both methods of assessment, the probability of sexual infidelity increased with higher number of lifetime sexual partners

Whisman, M. A., & Snyder, D. K. (2007). *Sexual infidelity in a national survey of American women: Differences in prevalence and correlates as a function of method of assessment*. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(2), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.2.147

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> Our findings demonstrate that infidelity and number of sexual partners are both under moderate genetic influence (41% and 38% heritable, respectively) and the genetic correlation between these two traits is strong (47%). The resulting genetic correlation between the two traits was .47, so nearly half the genes impacting on infidelity also affect number of sexual partners. The correlation of the unique environment between the two variables was .48.

Cherkas, L., Oelsner, E., Mak, Y., Valdes, A., & Spector, T. (2004). *Genetic Influences on Female Infidelity and Number of Sexual Partners in Humans: A Linkage and Association Study of the Role of the Vasopressin Receptor Gene (AVPR1A)*. Twin Research, 7(6), 649-658. doi:10.1375/twin.7.6.649

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> A truism in psychology is that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. This is no less true in the realm of sexual behavior. Indeed, one of the strongest predictors of marital infidelity is one’s number of prior sex partners (Buss, 2000). Deception about past sexual promiscuity would have inflicted greater costs, on average, on men than on women

Haselton, M. G., Buss, D. M., Oubaid, V., & Angleitner, A. (2005). *Sex, Lies, and Strategic Interference: The Psychology of Deception Between the Sexes*. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167204271303

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> The high correlation for females (r = .79) between reported numbers of sex partners and EPC partners [extra-pair copulation partners *def*. sexual partners other than primary partner while in a monogamous relationship] may bear on questions of both paternity and abandonment in the face of infidelity. Throughout recent human history, males have often placed a premium on female virginity for a marital partner (e.g., Ford & Beach, 1951). This is commonly thought to be an expression of a paternal assurance strategy, i.e., sexually inexperienced females are assumed to represent a lower risk of cuckoldry.

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> But the question remains: does promiscuity predict infidelity? Our data are consistent with those of Essock-Vitale and McGuire (1985) in suggesting that a substantial proportion of the variance in infidelity can be accounted for in terms of number of sex partners, but this conclusion is compromised by the fact that the number of sex partners is confounded with the number of EPC partners. To correct for this, we subtracted reported EPC partners from total reported sex partners for each respondent to create an estimate of promiscuity apart from EPCs. The resultant number (reported non-EPC sex partners) was still highly correlated with number of EPC partners (females: r = .67, n = 56, P < .01), suggesting that promiscuity is in fact a good predictor of infidelity. Indeed, promiscuity among females accounted for almost twice as much variance in infidelity (r^2 = .45) as it did for males (r^2 = .25).

Hughes, S. M. , & Gallup, G. G. (2003). *Sex differences in morphological predictors of sexual behavior: Shoulder to hip and waist to hip ratios*. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24(3), 173–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-5138(02)00149-6

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> Sexual promiscuity was significantly positively correlated with emotional promiscuity [r(356) = .261, p < .001], as well with sexual infidelity [r(323) = .595, p < .001] and emotional infidelity [r(323) = .676, p < .001], indicating that sexually promiscuous participants also tend to be emotionally promiscuous, and sexually and emotionally unfaithful. In terms of the sexual domain, results showed that there is also a positive correlation between sexual promiscuity and sexual infidelity, stating that individuals that tend to be more sexually promiscuous also tend to be more sexually unfaithful. These results support our second hypothesis.

Pinto R., Arantes J. (2016). *The Relationship between Sexual and Emotional Promiscuity and Infidelity* in Proceedings of the Athens: ATINER’S Conference Paper Series, No: PSY2016-2087, Athens, 10.30958/ajss.4-4-3

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> Women’s number of pre-marital partners: percent [of wives] who cheated once married

> - 2: 10.4%
> - 3: 14.9%
> - 4: 17.7%
> - 5: 21.6%
> - 6-10: 26.0%
> - 11-20: 36.7%
> - 21+: 46.8%

NORC General Social Survey. (2011, October 02). *Female Infidelity Based on Number of Premarital Partners — Statistic Brain*. Retrieved July 5, 2015, from [http://www.statisticbrain.com/percent-of-female-infidelity-based-on-number-of-premarital-partners/](http://archive.is/SDVEU)

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> Contrary to the myth, partners who’ve had many partners have a harder, not easier, time remaining monogamous. They are significantly more at risk of straying than those with little or no prior sexual experience.

Staik, A., PhD. (2019, March 28). *10 Predictors of Infidelity and Gender Differences: Why Do Partners Cheat?* Retrieved July 15, 2020, from [https://blogs.psychcentral.com/relationships/2014/08/a-look-at-infidelity-why-do-partners-cheat/](http://archive.is/bPRPy)

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> For people in this survey who reported four or fewer lifetime sexual partners, the rate of infidelity in the current marriage dropped to 11%, while for those who had five or more sexual partners the number was nearly double (21%). The break between the 54% of people who had five or more lifetime sexual partners vs. the 46% who had four or fewer total partners illustrates the lessons from the study. This breakpoint is validated by the fact that when asked straight out, 68% of those with more sexual partners in their pasts agreed that, “I am always faithful to my sexual partner” (whether currently married or single), compared to 82% of those with fewer sexual partners who said the same.

> [I]nfidelity is also often the fruit of a lifelong approach to mating that involves seeking and practicing short-term mating encounters that encourage sexual variety at all stages and into marriage.

McQuivey, J. L., PhD. (2019, October 14). *The Road to Infidelity Passes Through Multiple Sexual Partners*. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from [https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-road-to-infidelity-passes-through-multiple-sexual-partners-](http://archive.vn/IUs6E)

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> [T]here was a correlation between female pre-marital promiscuity and higher rates of divorce. The research, conducted by Jay Teachman, found that women with 16 or more sexual partners prior to marriage had an 80% rate of subsequent divorce.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, June 20). *Female promiscuity*. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:06, July 27, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Female_promiscuity&oldid=963578370

Teachman, J. (2003), *Premarital Sex, Premarital Cohabitation, and the Risk of Subsequent Marital Dissolution Among Women*. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65: 444-455. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00444.x