YouGov's latest survey on relationships has quantified what Brits consider cheating, revealing a significant gender divide. The study, which polled the British public on 12 specific behaviors, found that while both sexes agree on the most blatant acts of infidelity, they diverge sharply on emotional and digital dalliances.
Sex vs. Emotion: The Gender Split
According to the YouGov research, men are more likely to be unhappy with a sex-led affair (46%) and are generally less bothered by emotional cheating (20%). In contrast, the figures for women are 35% and 29%, respectively. This suggests that men prioritize physical fidelity, while women place more weight on emotional connections.
The study also asked about the acceptability of cheating. One in nine Brits (11%) believe there are circumstances where it's socially acceptable to cheat, while an overwhelming 76% say there is absolutely no justification, including waning sexual intimacy.
Behaviors That Constitute Cheating
The survey asked participants to judge 12 behaviors, with six widely agreed upon as cheating: having sex with someone else (94%), sending naked photos (82%), using a dating app while in a relationship (80%), kissing someone else (73%), secretly messaging or meeting an ex (69%), and forming a deep emotional attachment (52%). In all these cases, slightly fewer men than women said it counts.
The biggest gender discrepancies were on kissing: 80% of women vs. 65% of men, and forming a deep emotional attachment: 60% vs. 43%.
Grey Areas: OnlyFans and Fantasies
Conversely, six behaviors were more often deemed not cheating: engaging with sexual content creators like OnlyFans (47%), developing romantic feelings (40%), using AI chatbots for romantic or sexual conversations (30%), flirting (26%), fantasizing about sex (16%), and having a crush (15%). Again, more women than men labeled these as infidelity.
The largest gap was on OnlyFans: 57% of women said engaging with a creator is cheating, compared to just 37% of men.
Prevalence and Impact
The study found that 23% of Brits who have been in a relationship admitted to being unfaithful in the past. That includes 17% who had a sexual relationship with someone else, 18% who were emotionally disloyal, and 12% who admitted to both. Additionally, four in ten (40%) would be more upset if their partner had a sexual affair without romantic feelings.
