Men and women have different understandings of the severity of infidelity.
There is nothing nobler and more beautiful than mutual love and fidelity. But the phrase “And they lived happily ever after”, as a rule, ends all the novels. For some reason, writers (and readers too - author) do not find inspiration in the impeccable purity of feelings - give them fatal passion, irresistible temptations, temptations and falls. Therefore, works of art begin with the construction of love triangles, and sometimes more complex geometric shapes. And as we know, literature reflects life.
It is not surprising that scientists have taken up the study of such a fundamental phenomenon as infidelity. In particular, a group of psychologists from the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology in Trondheim decided to find out how the representatives of the stronger and weaker sex relate to the various nuances of marital infidelity.
Scientists recruited 92 couples of lovers to study. Young men and women independently of each other (the focus group was recruited from among students) filled out a detailed questionnaire, where they described their reactions to two types of partner infidelity.
- In the first version of the hypothetical scenario, a loved one simply slept with someone on the side, but without any love and obligations (for example, on a drunken business).
- In the second scenario, the partner fell in love with another person, meets with him, but it did not come to sex. Scientists have called this emotional infidelity.
At the same time, the participants in the experiment answered a bunch of questions: Will this or that type of betrayal be a threat to the relationship? What is the probability of rupture? Does it depend on the strength of the relationship? How much do they assess the severity of the partner's guilt? To what extent are they willing to forgive, etc. At the same time, it was necessary to note on a 7-point scale to what extent the participants in the experiment agree with this or that statement.
After processing the questionnaire, the following picture emerged.
Promotional video:
1. Men were more willing to forgive their girlfriend for emotional betrayal. Well, who of the weaker sex does not dry, for example, according to Enrique Iglesias or Leonardo DiCaprio (we take the most innocent option)? However, if the beloved went to bed with another, Othello woke up in every man. The representatives of the stronger sex were much more implacable to this type of fall.
2. Women, on the contrary, were ready to some extent to close their eyes to the sexual adventures of a loved one (a man stumbled, with whom does it not happen?). But if a partner has lost his head from a rival - this is a more serious crime, even if he has not yet reached the “commissary body”!
3. Past merit will not save you if you are caught in the act. “There is a widespread belief that if a couple had a strong relationship before cheating on their partner, then the traitor is more likely to be forgiven. However, we have not found confirmation of this opinion, says one of the study authors, Professor Mons Bendixen.
4. Another myth - that women are more willing to come to terms with adultery - has not received confirmation either. “Men and women alike are willing to break off relationships in the event of infidelity. The majority of those surveyed said that it is unlikely that I will be able to forgive my partner for his adventures,”says lead author of the study Trond Viggo Grontvedt
