How to spot love cheats – they’ve done it before

A SPOUSE who has committed adultery in the past is three times more likely to be unfaithful, a study reveals.

About half of all married men and 26 per cent of married women are likely to commit adultery at least once, with the chances even higher for unmarried couples, researchers found.

And those who have been betrayed may forgive, but they never forget and are more than twice as likely to recognise another infidelity.

The study, led by psychologist Kayla Knopp, of the University of Denver, US, interviewed almost 500 people – two-thirds of them women – about their relationship history.

Ms Knopp said: “Our results indicated a threefold increase in the likelihood that a person will engage in infidelity if he or she already has a history of engaging in infidelity.

“These findings suggest that previous engagement in infidelity is an important risk factor predicting engagement in infidelity in a subsequent relationship.”

For some people the temptation to stray is too great, even if they have been caught out before, according to the study, published in the journal Archives Of Sexual Behaviour.

Ms Knopp added: “Individuals who have already had emotional affairs or sexual encounters outside of their current relationship have first-hand knowledge that such alternatives exist and may subsequently believe that such alternatives remain available to them, thus creating a higher risk of engaging in infidelity again in future relationships.”

Some partners may be attracted to the “wrong type” – those prone to infidelity – or might create situations where it is likely to recur, the study found.