Cues to infidelity

This research sought to identify cues to a long-term partner's sexual infidelity and emotional infidelity. In Study 1, 204 participants nominated acts that evoke suspicions of sexual or emotional infidelity. In Study 2, 230 participants evaluated these acts on how diagnostic each was of sexual and emotional infidelity. Factor analysis revealed 14 factors of cues, including Anger and Argumentativeness, Exaggerated Affection, Sexual Boredom, and Relationship Dissatisfaction. Twelve factors were differentially diagnostic of sexual versus emotional infidelity. Sexual Boredom for example, was more diagnostic of sexual infidelity, whereas Relationship Dissatisfaction was more diagnostic of emotional infidelity. Men and women provided higher diagnosticity ratings for acts performed by an opposite-sex versus same-sex target. For ratings collapsed across sex of target, however; women provided higher diagnosticity ratings than did men. Discussion integrates results with previous research on infidelity and suggests important directions for future research on the cues to infidelity.