Infidelity Quiz: Surviving Infidelity

Although infidelity is the main reason unmarried cohabitating couples split, the same is not true of married couples. Married couples often cite being incompatible or unable to communicate as the cause of their divorce.

According to a Gallup Poll about infidelity, most people are not willing to forgive an unfaithful spouse. Specifically, only about one in three Americans say they would forgive their spouse for marital infidelity.

Men and women differ in their views as to which is worse -- women tend to believe sex with prostitutes is a greater betrayal, while men say a romantic extramarital affair is a worse offense.

What makes men cheat? Well, a survey of 200 men found that contrary to popular belief, only about a handful of men cited sex as a factor in their infidelity. The study also showed that a large number of men who had affairs were actually happy in their marriages.

The true culprit: Most (nearly half of men surveyed) rated emotional dissatisfaction as the primary reason they cheated.

Women tend to have emotional connections with their lovers and are more likely to have affairs because of loneliness.

In general, women's motivations aren't just about sex. Using another partner to transition out of a bad marriage is one of the common reasons women have affairs. In the world of break-ups, it's called "jumping ship."

A University of Chicago study shows that married people younger than 30 are those most likely to have sex with someone other than their spouse.

Husbands are less forgiving than wives, making it more likely for a woman caught up in an affair to be slammed with divorce. New York psychiatrist Mark Epstein, MD asserts that, "The hardest thing for husbands of unfaithful wives to do is to let that situation be history. For some men, imagining our partner with someone else is too intolerable."

Laws against adultery remain on the books in many states, though they are rarely enforced.

A Cornell University study on income and infidelity found that women are least likely to stray when they are dependent on their male partner's income. They may have fewer opportunities to cheat and may decide it isn't worth it because their livelihood may be at risk.

Othello syndrome is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the delusion of infidelity. It occurs more frequently among chronic male alcoholics and in demented patients. Othello syndrome is distinguished by jealous behavior such as:
- Recurrent accusations of infidelity
- Searches for evidence
- Repeated interrogation of the partner
- Tests of their partner's fidelity
- Stalking

In the 2008 study "Premarital precursors of marital infidelity," husbands and wives jointly cite low positive communication and high negative communication as causes for infidelity.