title: Was that cheating? Perceptions vary by sex, attachment anxiety, and behavior.
abstract: We generated an inventory of 27 interpersonal behaviors and examined the extent to which participants judged each behavior as cheating on a long-term partner. We predicted variation in these judgments based on participant sex and attachment insecurity. Ratings for items ranged considerably; participants rated sexual behaviors as most indicative of cheating, then erotic behaviors, followed by behaviors consistent with a romantic relationship, and then behaviors related to financial support. Women rated ten items higher than did men, and men's ratings were higher on a minor financial support item. Higher attachment anxiety was associated with higher ratings for 18 of 27 behaviors; higher attachment avoidance was associated with lower scores on five items and higher scores on one item. Principle Axis Factoring identified three dimensions; sexual interaction, behaviors indicating close relationships, and casual social interaction. We discuss these results using the framework of attachment theory and sex-specific mating strategies.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. kruger@umich.edu
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: Maryanna L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Robin S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Edelstein
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chopik
authors.forename: Carey J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stout
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D008192:Deception; D004882:Erotica; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010465:Perception; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult