Some people cheat on their partners.

You might argue that men are more likely to play away than women. You know, the whole idea of validation and dominance.

But a new survey from Illicit Encounters, a website founded in 2003 that facilities extra-marital romance and affairs, suggests that women are more partial to promiscuity than you might think.

And the website's research found that there's one common denominator that sparks infidelity in women: parental influence.

Man going through wifes phone

 

Basically, if while growing up a woman's mother or father sought romance outside of their committed relationship – whether married or not – they're more likely to follow suit.

Illicit Encounters found that 71 per cent of unfaithful women had mothers who cheated. With men, only 45 per cent of cheaters were the sons of dads who did the same. It's quite a striking comparison.

Illicit Encounters' Christian Grant seemed to denounce the conventional wisdom regarding infidelity - the fact that it's often perceived as a masculine hereditary trait.

Young woman sitting on bed with phone

 

"Contrary to popular belief, most men aren’t necessarily proud of the 'lad’ status given to them by their mates if they sleep around," Grants says.

"Though it might appear that way, deep down they fear the potential backlash from their fathers, irrespective of whether they have a history of cheating themselves."

Affectionate mother and daughter in kitchen

Here are some statistics from the study:

- 66 per cent of female respondents said they felt like they had "permission" to cheat because their mothers had done.

- 86 per cent of men said they would stop an affair if their father found out and asked them to.

- Of the men and women who agreed that cheating was immoral and trust in relationships is paramount, 83 per cent of men and 89 per cent of women admitted that getting down out of town was "not necessarily acceptable or morally correct".

Illicit Encounters has around 100,000 active users and used its members to conduct the survey.