In a recent study published in the journal “Archives of Sexual Behavior” researchers found that people who are exposed to and know other people who are unfaithful in relationships are more likely to be unfaithful in their own romantic relationships.

Gurit Birnbaum, one of the authors of the study, described their research by saying, “In our latest research, we focused on the circumstances under which people are less likely to use [strategies that help them avoid the temptation to cheat]. We suggest that a peer environment that gives the impression that infidelity is acceptable may be one such circumstance, as knowing that others are having affairs may make people feel more comfortable when considering having affairs themselves.”

The researchers conducted three different studies on heterosexual monogamous relationships where they exposed the participants to others’ cheating behavior and recorded their reactions following this while they were interacting with others. After conducting the studies the researchers found that, “…participants experienced less commitment to their relationship and greater desire for alternative partners. These findings suggest that environments that foster a greater prevalence of infidelity lessen the motivation to protect the bond with the current partner, possibly setting the stage for unleashing the desire for alternative partners. Such environments may make people more vulnerable to, if not outright ‘infect’ them with, infidelity,” wrote Birnbaum.

Although a participant showing signs that they would seek an alternative partner in certain scenarios is not the same as having an actual affair, this information may point towards the idea that infidelity may be prevalent in scenarios such as “abandoning long-term priorities of relationship maintenance in favor of pursuing tempting alternatives.”

The researchers concluded their study by saying, “Environments in which infidelity is prevalent do not necessarily turn people into cheaters. Even so, if someone is already vulnerable to cheating or if opportunities for infidelity arise, these environments can give the extra push needed to resolve the conflict between following moral values and succumbing to short-term temptations in a way that promotes infidelity.”