The substrate of infidelity, or a "parallel relationship"(a term coined by P.Druckerman) is multilevel. Surprisingly, one such leveller turns out to be genetics. Scientists have discovered, all to blame, the tiny V1aR gene encoding the production of vasopressin, which is responsible for sexual relations. A deficiency of this hormone promotes infidelity tendencies.
Two species of voles were used for the study. Prairie voles were found to have a gene variant that favours abundant vasopressin production. This is correlated with their monogamy, which they maintain throughout their lives. To test the validity of the thesis that it is the V1aR gene that is the differentiating factor, it was implanted into mountain voles with polygamous preferences. The effect was pronounced. The entire attention of the males was focused on only one selected female. Similar studies have also been carried out on males and it has been shown that, indeed, hormones have an effect on infidelity or attachment tendencies.
In the case of humans, however, it is not possible to generalise, as we are not mainly driven by instinct like animals. Let us therefore abandon genetic considerations and focus more on human psychology. The tendency to polygamy may have been inherited from ancestors, for whom copulation with multiple partners offered the chance to leave behind as many descendants as possible. In modern society, infidelity is not just about sex.
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People declare emotional infidelities that they never mention to their spouses. It is true that the desire for new sexual satisfaction is a common reason for infidelity, especially in men, but emotional reasons such as loneliness, lack of understanding from a loved one and the need for appreciation are also important. The Coolidge effect caused by monotony in a relationship, according to anthropologist H.Fisher, is statistically observed in the fourth year of marriage.
At this time, after the first fascination has ceased, most divorces occur. In humans, information from the senses first reaches the prefrontal cortex, which allows us to think rationally. Only then are the nerve impulses received by the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions. We therefore have a chance to make the right decision before we take steps towards betrayal. A bad choice can be jokingly explained by a disturbance in nerve conduction. Then the pathway: thought-feeling-action completely loses its functionality.
