EXTRAMARITAL SEX - PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES IN A NATIONAL SURVEY

In the current study, data from a nationally representative sample of 884 men and 1,288 women (1994 General Social Survey, Davis & Smith, 19 94) who have ever been married were analyzed with regard to incidence, prevalence, and correlates of extramarital sex (EMS). Men were more l ikely than women to report ever engaging in EMS (22.7% vs. 11.6%, p<.0 0001), yet, after correcting the probability value for multiple tests, the apparent gender difference regarding the proportion of respondent s who had EMS during the past year was not statistically significant ( 4.1% vs. 1.7%, p<.008). Interestingly there was no gender difference i n lifetime incidence among respondents younger than 40 years of age. E xcept for the oldest cohort, lifetime incidence of EMS increased with age for men, whereas for women there was an apparently curvilinear rel ationship such that lifetime incidence of EMS was greatest among those 30-50 years of age. Those who have ever been divorced, and those with greater attitudinal acceptance of EMS, had higher incidence of EMS co mpared to those who have not been divorced and those reporting greater disapproval of EMS. With regard to possible gender differences, men a nd women who denied ever engaging in EMS did not differ in their attit udes about EMS, just as men. and women who reported having experienced EMS did not differ in their altitudes. The results are discussed in r elation to previous research and unanswered questions left for further investigation.