According to a Dutch study involving more than 14,000 men and women, only a third of all couples should separate after infidelity in the relationship. But after an uncovered infidelity, things often get bumpy within the partnership. A reason to ask yourself, were there problems before the cheating happened or did the problems only appear afterwards?
The researchers Olga Stavrova, Tila Pronk, and Jaap Denissen got to the bottom of this question and came to an astonishing conclusion. To do this, they analyzed 1000 relationships in Germany over a period of up to twelve years, in the history of which infidelity played a role. They came to the conclusion that there was often a crisis or a loss of affection in the relationship before the infidelity. Thus, the researchers were able to establish the direct link between a decrease in well-being within a relationship and an infidelity.
Of course, infidelity can also be a major problem for a partnership without a previous reason and cause lasting damage. With an infidelity that is kept secret by the cheating partner, problems often arise automatically in the relationship because the cheating partner is under constant stress that he could be exposed. A vicious circle, because that can make the relationship even worse, according to research by Joshua D. Foster at the University of Alabama.
According to the researchers, commitment within the relationship is also an indicator of whether someone is moving away from you or even falling out of love. In fact, falling in love not only predicts the likelihood of infidelity, but also predisposes to longer affairs.
The risk of infidelity is highest for people who are dissatisfied with their relationship and their sex life within the partnership. According to an elite partner survey, in addition to cheating, “the partner restricts me”, “poor personal hygiene”, “jealousy” and “lack of tenderness” are among the top five reasons for separation.
Sources: Study 1, Study 2, Elite Partners, RND
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