Attitudes Towards Infidelity

Two-Thirds (63%) Disagree that People Only Have Affairs if their Marriage is Already a Failure

And Four in Ten (39%) Agree that Even Happily Married People Often Have Affairs

Toronto, ON - The results of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV poll released today show that Canadians think that affairs are more often started by men (27%) as opposed to women (4%). However, most (65%) say both sexes are equally responsible for starting affairs. Nonetheless, 70 percent of Canadians say that women are more likely to have affairs today compared with 20 years ago while 53 percent say married men are now more likely to have affairs. However, two thirds (63%) disagree that people only have affairs if their marriage is already a failure and four in ten (39%) agree that even happily married people often have affairs.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV poll conducted between March 8th and March 10th, 2001. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 803 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

Canadians Say Affairs are Started More Often by Men (27%) Than by Women (4%)

Canadians are more likely to blame men as opposed to women when it comes to starting affairs. A quarter (27%) of Canadians say that men start affairs more often while only 4 percent say women start affairs more often. However, two-thirds (65%) of Canadians say men and women are equally likely to start affairs.

• Men (27%) and women (27%) are equally likely to say that men start affairs more often than women.
• Middle aged Canadians (22%) are less likely than older (28%) and younger (33%) Canadians to say that men start affairs more often than women.
• Albertans (77%) are more likely than residents of other provinces to say that men and women are equally likely to start affairs.

Seven in Ten (70%) Say Married Women are Now More Likely to Have Affairs Compared to 20 Years Ago

Most Canadians (70%) say that married women are now more likely to have affairs than they were 20 years ago. This compares with 53 percent of Canadians who say that men are now more likely to have affairs.

• A higher percentage of women (73%) than men (67%) say that women are now more likely to have affairs. Similarly, more women (55%) than men (50%) say that men are now more likely to have affairs.
• A higher proportion of younger Canadians (75%) than middle aged (69%) or older (66%) Canadians say that women are now more likely to have affairs.
• Middle aged Canadians (48%) are less apt to say men are more likely to have affairs than younger (58%) or older (54%) Canadians.

Two-Thirds (63%) Disagree that People Only Have Affairs if their Marriage is Already a Failure

Many Canadians do not think a failed marriage is the cause of affairs. In fact, 63 percent disagree with the statement "people only have affairs if their marriage is already a failure". Canadians feel moderately strongly about this with one-third (31%) who "strongly disagree" and the same number (31%) who "somewhat disagree". About one in three (36%) agree that people only have affairs is if their marriage is a failure.

While Canadians do not necessarily think that bad marriages cause affairs, Canadians overwhelmingly think that affairs are bad for a marriage. Overall, 86 percent disagree with the statement "in the long run, an affair is often a good thing for a marriage", including 68 percent who "strongly disagree".

• There are no statistically significant regional or demographic differences on these questions.

And Four in Ten (39%) Agree that Even Happily Married People Often Have Affairs

In line with their thinking that it is not just people who have failed marriages who have affairs, a strong minority (39%) of Canadians agree that "even happily married people often have affairs". This includes one in ten (10%) who "strongly agree", and another three in ten (30%) who "somewhat agree". In contrast, 58 percent disagree with the statement - one-third (33%) "strongly disagree" and one-quarter (25%) "somewhat disagree".

• Men (46%) are much more likely than women (33%) to say that even happily married couples often have affairs.

While a number of Canadians are willing to accept that happily married people often have affairs, most Canadians do not think that if a couple is together for many years an affair is inevitable. More than three-quarters (78%) of Canadians disagree with the statement "if a married couple stays together for years, it is inevitable that one or both will have an affair at some point". In fact, a majority (51%) "strongly disagree" that an affair is inevitable while another 27% "somewhat disagree".

• Men (24%) are more likely than women (16%) to say an affair is inevitable.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900