Why a cheating spouse will never change

IF you’re one of those long-suffering romantics who believe they can change their other half for the better, prepare to be disappointed.

Scientists have studied the problem of infidelity and concluded: Once a cheat, always a cheat.

A person who has strayed before is three times as likely to be unfaithful in their next relationship, the long-term US research reveals.

Up to half of married men will typically stray at least once, compared to 26 per cent of women. Among unmarried couples that figure is higher.

University of Denver researchers interviewed 500 people – two-thirds of them women – over five years. They found ‘a threefold increase in the likelihood that a person will engage in infidelity if they already have a history’ of cheating.

The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, said for some, the temptation was too great – even if they had been caught out before. It added: ‘Individuals who have already had sexual encounters outside their current relationship have first-hand knowledge such alternatives exist and may subsequently believe they remain available.’