Statistics can be helpful at times but when referring to very hot topics like infidelity, statistics should be taken with a large pinch of salt.
This isn't to say that most cheating statistics are completely untrue however as a person having a background in research, I'm well aware of how easily good solid data can be twisted after it hits the streets, so to speak.
The key reason why this occurs - with all kinds of statistics - is they are a valuable resource for selling more newspapers, self-help guides and motivating visitors to click through to internet websites. And of course when cheating statistics are "astonishing", "shocking" or "alarming" they do a much better job of this.
Adding an attention-grabbing twist on genuine cheating facts is not hard. It's just a matter of showing them at face value, out of context or "happening" to misunderstand or misinterpret the data.
Adding to the problem is that startling infidelity statistics get copied over and over again, crowding out far more reliable details about what's truly happening.
The result is that many would have you believe that cheating is a far greater problem than it really is and that marriage success rates are much lower than they really are.
And this manipulation of the facts concerns me
A lot of people searching for infidelity statistics are looking for support, advice and reassurance of some type. For instance, to find out the likelihood that their partner really is being unfaithful, or if there is any hope of salvaging their marriage. It is hardly useful or reassuring to be fooled into believing that the answers are "yes, they probably are" and "no, most likely not".
Regrettably, determining which statistics are trustworthy and which are not isn't so easy. In most cases there are no references to the original research so it is not possible to clarify the information or check if it was a high-quality study.
However, there are a few things you can do
One is to use that large pinch of salt - be suspicious regarding the most widely-published and "shocking" infidelity statistics. For example, question unexplained phrases such as "extramarital affair". Does this refer to intercourse only, to any sexual activity including a one-time drunken kiss at a party, or does it include emotional infidelity too?
Secondly, dig deep and get to the high quality studies that have been crowded out by the "attention grabbers". Thankfully, there have been many large-scale quality studies conducted over the years, and their quality and reliability is shown in the simple fact that their findings are very similar.
Thirdly, remember that even the most reputable studies - consistently conducted with large numbers of men and women across several years - admit their limitations. The bottom line is , they depend on men and women confessing to acts of infidelity, and definitions of infidelity vary widely. All experts agree - 100% trustworthy statistics on cheating are not attainable.
As a final note, infidelity statistics can be helpful, and they can certainly be intriguing but at the end of the day, they do make reference to other people. They are certainly not a reliable indicator of how cheating may or could impact your relationship.
This isn't to say that most cheating statistics are completely untrue however as a person having a background in research, I'm well aware of how easily good solid data can be twisted after it hits the streets, so to speak.
The key reason why this occurs - with all kinds of statistics - is they are a valuable resource for selling more newspapers, self-help guides and motivating visitors to click through to internet websites. And of course when cheating statistics are "astonishing", "shocking" or "alarming" they do a much better job of this.
Adding an attention-grabbing twist on genuine cheating facts is not hard. It's just a matter of showing them at face value, out of context or "happening" to misunderstand or misinterpret the data.
Adding to the problem is that startling infidelity statistics get copied over and over again, crowding out far more reliable details about what's truly happening.
The result is that many would have you believe that cheating is a far greater problem than it really is and that marriage success rates are much lower than they really are.
And this manipulation of the facts concerns me
A lot of people searching for infidelity statistics are looking for support, advice and reassurance of some type. For instance, to find out the likelihood that their partner really is being unfaithful, or if there is any hope of salvaging their marriage. It is hardly useful or reassuring to be fooled into believing that the answers are "yes, they probably are" and "no, most likely not".
Regrettably, determining which statistics are trustworthy and which are not isn't so easy. In most cases there are no references to the original research so it is not possible to clarify the information or check if it was a high-quality study.
However, there are a few things you can do
One is to use that large pinch of salt - be suspicious regarding the most widely-published and "shocking" infidelity statistics. For example, question unexplained phrases such as "extramarital affair". Does this refer to intercourse only, to any sexual activity including a one-time drunken kiss at a party, or does it include emotional infidelity too?
Secondly, dig deep and get to the high quality studies that have been crowded out by the "attention grabbers". Thankfully, there have been many large-scale quality studies conducted over the years, and their quality and reliability is shown in the simple fact that their findings are very similar.
Thirdly, remember that even the most reputable studies - consistently conducted with large numbers of men and women across several years - admit their limitations. The bottom line is , they depend on men and women confessing to acts of infidelity, and definitions of infidelity vary widely. All experts agree - 100% trustworthy statistics on cheating are not attainable.
As a final note, infidelity statistics can be helpful, and they can certainly be intriguing but at the end of the day, they do make reference to other people. They are certainly not a reliable indicator of how cheating may or could impact your relationship.
About the Author:
If you already know or are suspicious that your spouse has been unfaithful it's important that you get the right infidelity advice and understand the steps you can take for getting on with life after cheating.
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