People love to say “once a cheater, always a cheater.” A study tracked 484 people across multiple relationships to find out if “once a cheater, always a cheater” is actually true. The answer is yes, mostly—with some caveats.Clinical psychologists at the University of Denver followed 484 young American adults through a series of questionnaires examining their relationship behavior across multiple partnerships. The short version: people who cheat are three times more likely to cheat again in their next relationship. People who get cheated on — or even just suspect it — are two to four times more likely to find themselves in that same position again. Around 40% of unmarried couples in the study reported infidelity. “The past matters for relationships,” lead researcher Kayla Knopp said. “What we do at every step along the way in our romantic histories ends up influencing what comes next.”Here’s the thing, though: men and women were equally likely to cheat or be cheated on. The gendered framing of infidelity—cheating as something men do, suffering as something women endure—doesn’t hold up in the data. ‘Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater’ Isn’t Totally Wrong, According to ScienceResearchers have linked repeat cheating with a few personality traits, including low conscientiousness, high sensation-seeking, and higher levels of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Some people are simply more drawn to novelty, risk, and getting what they want, even when they’re already in a relationship.Attachment style can play a role, too. People with anxious attachment sometimes cheat because they’re looking for reassurance or trying to prove they’re still wanted. Changing partners doesn’t necessarily change the habits someone brings into the next relationship.Knopp was careful to present the findings as statistical probability, not fate. “There are lots of people who break those patterns,” she said. The study’s goal was to identify risk factors, not write anyone off permanently. So “once a cheater, always a cheater” goes a little too far. A better version might be: once a cheater, significantly more likely to do it again. Less catchy, unfortunately. Much better science.The post Is ‘Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater’ Actually True? Here’s What Science Has to Say. appeared first on VICE.