From our grandparents’ generation we all know the saying “Like father, like son”. But is the old wisdom perhaps more accurate than we previously assumed? A study that appeared in “Personal Relationships” confirmed that children who are shown infidelity have a lower inhibition threshold against becoming cheaters themselves.
Researchers Dana Weiser and Daniel Weigel published their results, which emerged from three individual studies. The researchers were able to draw two key conclusions from their studies:
Being exposed to relationship trauma in childhood can lead to an insecure and unhealthy attachment style in adulthood. Facing such family issues early in development can lead to full-blown trust issues. Parents act as role models and the child could perceive the topic of infidelity as “normal” at an early stage. The researchers were able to demonstrate higher acceptance and tolerance of cheating among children of unfaithful parents.
Some people who have had such a childhood experience and cheat as an adult do so not because it is “normal”, but because of an interesting other aspect. The powerlessness and loss of control that the child often has to experience when things are turbulent at home due to an unfaithful parent are often compensated for by infidelity in adulthood. Why? Because infidelity can provide a feeling of power and the adrenaline of a game of hide-and-seek can provide a distraction from everyday problems.
Sources: Psychology Today, study
