
Money can be connected to infidelity in an unexpected way.
A study using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth examined 2,757 married people ages 18–32.
For women, being more economically dependent on their husbands was associated with a lower likelihood of infidelity.
The pattern for men was different: men who were completely economically dependent on their wives showed a greater likelihood of infidelity.
The researcher argued that economic dependence interacts with gender expectations rather than affecting everyone identically.
This doesn't mean money determines whether a woman will be faithful.
But financial dynamics inside a relationship can be associated with romantic behavior in ways that aren't immediately obvious.
© American Sociological Review (2015)