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 state that the majority of infidelity statistics are completely bogus however as someone with a background in research, I am aware of just how readily good solid data may be twisted after it hits the streets, so to speak.
The reason this happens – with all kinds of statistics – is that they can be a valuable resource for selling more magazines, self-help guides and motivating visitors to click through to websites. And of course when infidelity statistics are “astonishing”, “shocking” or “worrying” 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 looking for infidelity facts are looking for support, advice and reassurance of some kind. For example, to discover the likelihood that their spouse really is being unfaithful, or if there is any hope of saving their marriage. It is hardly helpful or comforting to be misled into thinking that the answers are “yes, they probably are” and “no, probably 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, here are a few steps you can take
One is to use that large pinch of salt – be suspicious regarding the most widely-published and “startling” infidelity statistics. For instance, question unexplained phrases such as “extramarital affair”. Does this refer to sexual intercourse only, to any sexual activity including a one-time drunken kiss at a party, or does it include emotional affairs too?
Secondly, dig deep and get to the quality studies which have been crowded out by the “attention grabbers”. Fortunately, there have been many large-scale high quality studies conducted over the years, and their quality and trustworthiness is shown in the fact that their results 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.
If you know or suspect that your mate has been cheating it is important that you get the right infidelity advice and understand the steps you can take for getting on with life after cheating.