As per recent studies conducted among married couples, there has been an increase in cases of emotional and sexual infidelity which is posing a threat to marital bliss. Women's perspective towards these two forms of cheating is quite different from men's outlook.
Emotional infidelity is defined as when a person falls for someone else outside their marriage, but they are not having any physical contact with them. It can be through text messages, emails, phone calls, video chats, etc. In contrast, sexual infidelity refers to the physical aspect where both parties engage in sexual activities with each other.
Women tend to view emotional infidelity as more harmful than sexual cheating because it breaks down trust and creates doubts about future commitment. They feel that being betrayed emotionally hurts much more than sexually and might lead to separation. On the contrary, men consider the act of physical closeness with another woman as a breach of loyalty, whereas women do not take it seriously if there is no emotional attachment involved.
The reasons why women react differently are due to the lack of fulfillment of emotional needs, insecurities and uncertainties arising within relationships, or feeling of neglect by their partner. When a woman feels her husband ignores her emotional needs or does not understand them correctly, she tends to seek solace elsewhere. The emotions build up inside, leading to loneliness and frustration. Eventually, she gets attached to someone who listens to her carefully and gives her undivided attention.
Some women also indulge in sexual affairs to satisfy their urges and get closer to the new person, thereby strengthening the relationship gradually. It may start off as an emotional connection initially, but later leads to intimacy.
Men are more prone to have casual encounters without forming any bond or getting too close to anyone outside marriage. Therefore, they don't experience guilt or remorse after such acts, unlike women who develop feelings for the person emotionally and hence feel guilty for cheating on their spouse. As per research, men tend to perceive these situations as a means of exploring different aspects of life rather than breaking their marital bonds.
Women find it difficult to forgive and move forward from infidelity because it creates a void in their hearts that cannot be filled easily. They fear losing their partner and being alone forever.
Men consider these acts as minor issues that can be resolved with time and forgiveness.
While men see sexual and emotional infidelity differently, women view both forms of cheating as destructive and damaging to the relationship.
How do women perceive sexual vs. emotional infidelity?
Research suggests that many women experience distress when they discover their partner's sexual or emotional infidelity, regardless of whether it is physical or online cheating. While both types of infidelity can lead to feelings of betrayal, humiliation, and loss of trust, some studies have found that emotional affairs may be more damaging than sexual ones because they involve an emotional connection with another person.