Deleted member 6403
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Quick reminder 
In 2014, online market research company OnePoll.com conducted a survey of 1,000 UK women in relationships for the newspaper The Daily Mail to determine how many of these female respondents in relationships had a 'Plan-B' (i.e. possible alternative to their current partner). They found:
An online survey conducted by Wedberg (2016) only found 20% of women cultivated a backup partner, but it is possibly a younger sample (average age 23 years with few participants older than 30) compared to the one from OnePoll.com and possibly a different country (UK vs US). Further, Wedberg included all women, while OnePoll.com only partnered women. Wedberg probably mainly included students from SUNY New Paltz along with some participants from Facebook while OnePoll.com specializes on representative and demographically diverse sample ("well profiled using over 100 profile questions").
Related to this, Fincham and May (2017), found that the gender gap in infidelity is closing (currently affecting 20–25% of all marriages, rising). Wang (2018) presented graphs of infidelity by age showing that young adults of either sex are yielding roughly the same infidelity rates today. This is an interesting development because men are known to exhibit stronger mate guarding behavior (see e.g. Buss, 2002). For example a poll of 2,000 British men and women for laundry specialists Dr. Beckmann published in the DailyMail (2012) revealed that 53% of women, but only 13% of men would forgive infidelity. An evolutionary explanation for stronger mate guarding in males could be that "men, but not women, have recurrently faced the problem of uncertainty in their genetic parenthood" (see Buss, 2018). Men are also less likely to be infected by STDs and obviously cannot get pregnant themselves, thus infidel men do not risk their main relationship as much compared to women, who, if they become pregnant, would drastically change the relationship at the detriment of the man's reproductive success by "wasting" his resources on a different man's offspring (from the selfish gene's perspective).
Quotes:
In 2014, online market research company OnePoll.com conducted a survey of 1,000 UK women in relationships for the newspaper The Daily Mail to determine how many of these female respondents in relationships had a 'Plan-B' (i.e. possible alternative to their current partner). They found:
- 43% of women reported having a back-up partner.
- 80% were in contact with the back-up partner.
- 50% said their partners were aware of this potential replacement.
- 25% said they had feelings as strong for their back-up partner as they do for their primary partner.
- 15% said their feelings were stronger for the back-up then for their primary partner.
An online survey conducted by Wedberg (2016) only found 20% of women cultivated a backup partner, but it is possibly a younger sample (average age 23 years with few participants older than 30) compared to the one from OnePoll.com and possibly a different country (UK vs US). Further, Wedberg included all women, while OnePoll.com only partnered women. Wedberg probably mainly included students from SUNY New Paltz along with some participants from Facebook while OnePoll.com specializes on representative and demographically diverse sample ("well profiled using over 100 profile questions").
Related to this, Fincham and May (2017), found that the gender gap in infidelity is closing (currently affecting 20–25% of all marriages, rising). Wang (2018) presented graphs of infidelity by age showing that young adults of either sex are yielding roughly the same infidelity rates today. This is an interesting development because men are known to exhibit stronger mate guarding behavior (see e.g. Buss, 2002). For example a poll of 2,000 British men and women for laundry specialists Dr. Beckmann published in the DailyMail (2012) revealed that 53% of women, but only 13% of men would forgive infidelity. An evolutionary explanation for stronger mate guarding in males could be that "men, but not women, have recurrently faced the problem of uncertainty in their genetic parenthood" (see Buss, 2018). Men are also less likely to be infected by STDs and obviously cannot get pregnant themselves, thus infidel men do not risk their main relationship as much compared to women, who, if they become pregnant, would drastically change the relationship at the detriment of the man's reproductive success by "wasting" his resources on a different man's offspring (from the selfish gene's perspective).
Quotes:
- The Plan B is likely to be an 'old friend' who has always had feelings for the woman in question. But other candidates are an ex-boyfriend or ex-husband, a colleague or someone who they have met at the gym.
- For our research to establish that almost 50 per cent of women in relationships have a 'Plan B' is a worrying sign ... This could spark fear in men across the UK and be great news for women looking for that extra bit of love and care so that their attentions aren't swayed.
- Around half had a 'never say never' approach, while trouble may lie ahead for one in six who said they were 'seriously considering' rekindling their romance with the man in the shadows.
- Kirkova D. 2014. HALF of women have a fall-back partner on standby who has always fancied them, in case their current relationship turns sour. The Daily Mail. [Article] [Archive]
- Daily Mail Reporter. 2012. Why three affairs are unforgivable: Six in ten women would forgive their partner if they strayed twice. The Daily Mail. [Article]
- Buss DM. 2018. Sexual and Emotional Infidelity: Evolved Gender Differences in Jealousy Prove Robust and Replicable. [Abstract]
- Fincham FD, May RW. 2017. Infidelity in romantic relationships. [Abstract] [FullText]
- Buss DM. 2002. Human Mate Guarding. [Abstract] [FullText]
- Wedberg NA. 2016. Partner insurance: Women may have backup romantic partners as a mating strategy [FullText]
- Wang W. 2018. Who Cheats More? The Demographics of Infidelity in America [Article]
