Infidelity from the earlier relationship decreases the standard of the present relationship

Infidelity is defined by Psychology today than breaking a promise in a romantic relationship to be true to your significant other. Regardless of whether that promise was part of a privately expressed agreement between lovers or a marriage vow or unspoken acceptance.

By the time couples make their promises, they may not think about committing infidelity or suffering from one. However, infidelity is widespread, which could terrify both partners, especially the one who has been betrayed.

A person may begin to wonder if to stay in the relationship or if they will trust to be rebuilt, or there is no choice but to pack up and move on. Ultimately, the trust was broken and she could traumatize the event.

Now, a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology examines the effects of infidelity on future relationships.

Lower quality of relationships

The study suggests that cheating on one partner and cheating on a partner were both linked to poor or lower quality of the current relationship, PsyPost reported.

Study author Joana Arantes and her team said that while infidelity has devastating effects on relationships, its long-term effects, especially on a relationship afterward, are less well known.

In a sample of 364 Portuguese adults aged 18 to 62, in which 69% were women and 73% were currently in a relationship, the researchers asked participants to fill out a questionnaire and answer a few questions about their experience of cheating behavior.

The researchers said the questionnaires were designed to assess respondents’ sexual drives and the value they place on a partner’s physical attractiveness.

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About 26% of respondents said they had cheated on a romantic relationship, and researchers found that these people were of lower quality in their current relationship than those who had not cheated in the past.

Additionally, the researchers said these participants also had higher sex drives. Arantes noted that this finding adds to the growing evidence that people who cheat normally tend to have higher sex drives.

Meanwhile, 44% of participants said they had been cheated on by their partner, and researchers also found that these people have a lower quality of their current relationship.
The researchers found that this finding is further evidence of previous studies showing that those who have suffered from infidelity in the past are prone to cheating on a partner in the future.

Understand the variables that play a role in a romantic relationship

According to the researchers, their study also showed gender differences: 39% of men admitted to cheating with a partner and 20% of women also committed infidelity. Men also responded that they view physical attractiveness as a big factor for a partner who also has a higher sex drive and a lower quality of current relationship.

Ultimately, the study helped further understand the variables that play an important role in a romantic relationship. These variables include “perceptions of relationship quality, sexual desire, the importance attached to the partner’s physical attractiveness, and self-perceived attractiveness,” said Arantes.

The researchers found that the results are correlative and do not identify a causal effect on which the variable affects the other. They recommend doing future longitudinal studies to shed more light on the matter.

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