Breadwinners beware. The more financially dependent a husband or wife is on their spouse, the more likely they are to cheat. Most people assume the opposite -- that the one bringing home the bacon would be the one more likely to stray -- but research suggests otherwise. In the words of lead scientist Christin Munsch:
You would think that people would not want to 'bite the hand that feeds them' so to speak, but that is not what my research shows.
According to the study, over the course of a year there is a 5 percent chance that a woman who is completely financially dependent on her husband will cheat. This effect is even more pronounced when it comes to men who are financially dependent on their wives. In fact, there is a 15 percent chance that these guys will engage in some form of "extracurricular activities."
There is something about inequity in relationships that people don't like, and something about not being the breadwinner that men especially don't like.
That said, when men are the primary breadwinners and bring home more than 70 percent of a couple's income, the odds of them straying increase. Not as much as one might think however, and never as much as the dependent men:
What is surprising is that this increase in the likelihood of men engaging in infidelity that occurs as they make significantly more than their wives is relatively small compared to the increase in the likelihood of cheating that takes place among men as they become more economically dependent.
Another consideration to bear in mind: opportunity. Men who work in professions dominated by women are more likely to cheat. Of course with apps like Tinder proximity is no longer an issue. A hook up is just a swipe away.
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