Introduction

Infidelity is usually defined as the action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse or other sexual partner. Being unfaithful in general terms may mean more than just being unfaithful sexually, but also being unfaithful emotionally and psychologically. Nevertheless, infidelity is mostly defined in terms of being unfaithful sexually. In modern civilization, a sexual/marital relationship is defined in monogamous terms. However, historically, most cultures have been polygynous. Most species are socially monogamous (males and females pair to breed or raise offspring), but not sexually monogamous (97% of mammals are not monogamous, among primates only gibbons are predominantly monogamous, gorillas are polygynous and chimpanzee do not pair at all)). The reason for most humans being monogamous is unclear, it may be a reflection of societal, religious and moral pressures.