Affairs boost self-esteem and life satisfaction for women.
A new study has found that females are likely to be given a boost if they play away but straying has the opposite effect on men – who suffer if they commit adultery.
Researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands collected data on 609 German adults over the course of 12 years and quizzed them on their wellbeing as well as relationships.
On the whole, the analysis revealed that women who cheat experience an increase in self-esteem and life satisfaction.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, reads: “Our analyses detected one group of participants who seem to recover and even thrive after infidelity… unfaithful women.
“Potentially, women’s affairs are more likely to be a result of partner dissatisfaction, and consequently, the affair may be a wake-up call for their partners, leading to positive behavioural change.
“A look at the outcomes suggest that male perpetrators were more negatively affected by the event.”
