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When one spouse has an affair, who is more likely to leave?

Author

Listed:
  • Paula England

    (New York University, Abu Dhabi)

  • Paul D. Allison

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Liana C. Sayer

    (University of Maryland)

Abstract

Background: We examine whether having an affair around the time a marriage broke up is associated with being the person who wanted the divorce more or the person who was left. We also examine predictors of having an affair around the end of the marriage. Methods: We use the National Survey of Families and Households, using each ex-spouse’s reports of which spouse wanted the divorce more and whether either was having an affair around the end of the marriage. We combine latent class models with logistic regression, treating either spouse’s report as a fallible indicator of the reality of whether each had an affair and who wanted the divorce more. Results: We find that a spouse having an affair is more likely to be the one who wanted the divorce more. We find little gender difference in who has affairs preceding divorce. Conclusions: Results suggest that it is more common to leave because one is having an affair, or to have an affair because one has decided to leave, than it is to discover one’s spouse having an affair and initiate a divorce.

Suggested Citation

  • Paula England & Paul D. Allison & Liana C. Sayer, 2014. "When one spouse has an affair, who is more likely to leave?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(18), pages 535-546.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:30:y:2014:i:18
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.18
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paula England & Elizabeth Aura McClintock, 2009. "The Gendered Double Standard of Aging in US Marriage Markets," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 35(4), pages 797-816, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; divorce; extramarital sex;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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