Scientists say men are more likely to cheat! Is that true? Let’s find out!
Infidelity is one of the biggest problems in relationships around the world, and millions of couples break up due to s*xual misconduct, cheating on their partners, and acting recklessly when it comes to physical attraction.
While it’s true that gender doesn’t play a role in feeling attraction toward someone outside the relationship, scientists did some research and discovered that men are more likely to cheat. At least that’s what the evolution theory pinpoints.
We don’t want to jump to conclusions, especially since this depends on several factors, so in today’s article, we’ll break down everything scientists discovered. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading. Are men more likely to cheat? Find out here!
The gender gap
Statistically speaking, approximately 13% of women claim to have had extramarital intimacy, compared to 20% of males who admit having done so. Experts also discovered that women are twice as likely as men to encounter physical violence at some point in their lives. It’s believed that one of the reasons for this violent behavior could be a byproduct of the male drive’s evolutionary past.
The popular “boys will be boys” quote doesn’t justify making careless or unwise decisions. However, several cultural and biological variables can contribute to men acting on their impulses more frequently than women. Understanding whether men are more likely to cheat is crucial. Knowing the origins behind these gender differences can help us understand and prevent potentially harmful behaviors, according to experts.
For example, the intimate pursuit area of men’s brains is thought to be around 2.5 times larger than that of women. Moreover, males report satisfying their own intimate needs over twice as often as women, with their main motivation being not having enough time in the bedroom.
Even though this is only a general statement and it doesn’t apply to all men, experts discovered that a male’s brain is, from an evolutionary point of view, more inclined toward intimate conquest.
The bees and the birds
The idea that men are more likely to cheat also has origins in the animal kingdom, where it’s known that males are more promiscuous. However, there are also some expectations, like the female pipefish, which actively pursues males.
The long-accepted explanation for the behavioral differences between the genders is that, since women bear and raise children, they have a greater responsibility to devote themselves to choosing a suitable partner. On the other hand, males have an incentive to disperse their seeds as widely as they can, and this might be a reason why men are more likely to cheat.
What about monogamy?
If you think that men are more likely to cheat because they don’t believe in monogamy, you’re wrong. Experts discovered that humans are more likely to practice polygamy (both polyandry, the practice of having multiple husbands, and polygyny, the practice of having many wives).
On the other hand, we’ve seen several bird species and gibbons choose a partner to share their lives with, so humans aren’t the only ones who mate for life. Experts believe that our social organizational style has shaped our bodies and intimate lives throughout evolution. According to experts, it’s believed that the earliest human ancestors probably lived in sizable multi-male and multi-female groups, much like chimpanzees do now.
Believe it or not, monogamy is a very modern concept for us. Considering that humans are a species on the move, this arrangement seems like a suitable one. On the other hand, in primates like gorillas and orangutans that have a single dominant male and a large number of females, the male is usually responsible for protecting a large area for his group of female monkeys.
The seeds games
As we’ve previously stated, from an evolutionary perspective, males are programmed to spread their seed as widely as possible, which can be a reason why men are more likely to cheat.
So, to father the greatest number of children, our ancient, polygamous male ancestors had to compete with one another. One effect of this was “sp*rm competition,” whereby males evolved larger and more specifically shaped organs (humans have the largest organs of all the primates) to make sure their seed survived.
Thanks to the fact that males wanted to have more special seeds to have babies, they also developed larger t*stes. However, experts say that their sizes have reduced considerably since humans first developed monogamy. On the other hand, since chimpanzees still live in harems, they have the largest t*stes of any ape species, while the completely monogamous gibbons have the smallest. So, a reason why men are more likely to cheat is because the bigger the t*stes are, the more they want to use them.
What about women?
There were also, of course, physical changes that involved women, such as the m*nstrual cycle replacing the “estrous cycle” (where it was believed that a female was in her mating period). Comparing the two, the m*nstrual cycle’s hormone cycling can make women more welcoming in the bedroom, even if the male doesn’t know if she can have children or not. It’s believed that females used this technique for males to provide resources for her and the potential children.
Long story short, some experts believe that this woman thing aligns with the birth of monogamy and the man and woman becoming partners to take care of the child.
However, the development of monogamy—or at least lifelong, solitary partnerships—may have created an “evolutionary dissonance.” Women now expect a lifelong spouse, while men have evolved for millions of years to seek intimacy with multiple partners. Some scientists believe that this dissonance leads men to cheat to fulfill their primal cravings. Do you agree with this statement?
Can the brain keep up with the primary physical instincts?
As previously stated, the male special thing wasn’t the only one that grew over the years. The brain is also an organ that keeps developing throughout the years, and this helps us face all the challenges we encounter. It’s a major aid in preventing us from acting on our impulses.
Due to this enormous brain enlargement and the necessity for our hips to shrink so we can stand upright, human babies had to have incredibly small brains at birth. As primates, we are unique in that our brains expand by two-thirds over the first 20 years following birth.
This is one of the reasons why, during our teenage years, our bodies are completely functional, and some of us even stop growing, but our brains are still developing. Speaking of that and the reasons why men are more likely to cheat, experts discovered that males have bigger physical desires compared to women, even when their brains aren’t fully developed. Moreover, when these instincts take over and the desire is bigger than the relationship they’re in, men are more likely to cheat.
If you want to read more about primate evolution and how it impacts the way we are today, here’s a good book you can read! Do you think men are more likely to cheat? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed reading this article and you’d like to check out something else from Science in The World, here’s a good post for you: 10 Genetic Quirks You Didn’t Know You Got From Your Parents
