Men Step Out On Successful Women

By drodriguez Aug 16, 2010

Money is definitely not the only thing keeping men happy these days. A new study reveals that men who are married to women who earn more than them are a lot more likely to cheat on their wives. The research, presented at the American Sociological Association, shows that the smaller the paycheck men bring home the more likely it is that they will be unfaithful to their spouse.

A recent article from MSNBC reports that the study shows men are 5 times more likely than men who make equal pay to cheat on their wives if they are completely financially dependent on them. One is reminded of the recent split between Jesse James and Sandra Bullock after allegations that he cheated. It may not be a coincidence that he cheated just when Bullock was at the top of her career and bringing home more money than ever before.

So, why would these guys step out on their successful wives? Conductor of the study, Christin Munsch, believes it may have something to do with men having insecurities about not fitting into the idea of what a man should be. Munsch says, “Having multiple sexual partners may be an attempt to restore gender identity in response to these threats. In other words, for men, sex (outside their relationship) may be an attempt to compensate for feelings of inadequacy with respect to gender identity.”

There are of course other theories to explain why men cheat on their high earning wives. Christine Whelan, author of “Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women”, thinks it might just be something as simple as time spent together. If a woman is making most or all of the money in a relationship, she’s probably not home that much which leaves their husbands with a lot of time to think about cheating.

But there’s no need to worry if you’re the one bringing home the bacon. The study also shows that over a six year period only 7 percent of all the men involved in the study cheated and somewhere around 3 percent of the women stepped out. Other factors like religion, education, and relationship satisfaction entered into the outcomes as well.

What do you think of the latest research showing men are more likely to cheat if their wives have a bigger paycheck than them?

Why do you think this is?