We all look to our parents for how we eat, walk and talk, but does this also apply to cheating in a relationship? A study says yes. Children of unfaithful parents are more likely to cheat.
We all know the saying “Like father, like son” from our grandparents’ generation. But is the old wisdom perhaps more accurate than we previously assumed? A study that appeared in “Personal Relationships” confirmed that children who are shown infidelity have a lower inhibition threshold against becoming cheaters themselves.
The researchers Dana Weiser and Daniel Weigel published their results, which emerged from three individual studies. The researchers were able to draw two key conclusions from their studies:
- If parents are unfaithful, there is a higher probability that their offspring will also be unfaithful.
- Individuals who had experienced parental infidelity had more positive attitudes toward infidelity, which was often reinforced by the fact that they received mixed messages about infidelity from their family.
Cheating on your own parents can lead to trust issues
Being exposed to relationship trauma in childhood can lead to an insecure and unhealthy attachment style in adulthood. Facing such family issues early in development can lead to full-blown trust issues. Parents act as role models and the child could perceive the topic of infidelity as “normal” at an early stage. The researchers were able to demonstrate greater acceptance and tolerance of cheating among children of unfaithful parents.
Some people who have had such a childhood experience and cheat as an adult do so not because it is “normal”, but because of an interesting other aspect. The powerlessness and loss of control that the child often has to experience when things are turbulent at home due to an unfaithful parent are often compensated for by infidelity in adulthood. Why? Because the affair can provide a feeling of power and the adrenaline of a game of hide-and-seek can provide a distraction from everyday problems.
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Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
