“Why women cheat” and “why men cheat” articles promise a clean gender formula for a behavior that research describes as multi-causal. Infidelity is shaped by individuals, relationships, opportunity, attitudes and context. Gender can matter in some findings, but it is not a universal explanation.
What research repeatedly looks at
Relationship satisfaction
Lower satisfaction has been associated with extradyadic involvement in several studies, although dissatisfaction does not make infidelity inevitable.
Commitment
Dating research has linked lower commitment and stronger perceived alternatives with greater reported infidelity-related behavior.
Attitudes toward infidelity
People who view infidelity more permissively are, unsurprisingly, more likely to report it.
Past behavior
A history of infidelity in a prior relationship has been associated with later extradyadic behavior.
Attachment insecurity
A 2024 meta-analysis found small but significant associations between attachment anxiety or avoidance and marital infidelity.
Opportunity and context
Work, travel, online communication and access to alternative partners can change opportunity without determining behavior.
They turn correlations into stereotypes
Research reviews describe a historically narrowing gender gap and substantial variation within both men and women. One dating study found several correlates—lower satisfaction, lower commitment, attitudes toward infidelity and better perceived alternatives—were relevant regardless of gender.
That is much more informative than telling readers that “women cheat for emotion” while “men cheat for sex.” Real relationships do not divide motives so neatly.