The Psychometric Profile of Female Infidelity: Personality Traits and Deceptive Tendencies
Infidelity in romantic relationships has long been a subject of psychological inquiry, touching upon evolutionary psychology, personality theory, and neurobiological predispositions. This article synthesizes findings from multiple research studies and psychometric analyses to describe the personality traits commonly associated with female infidelity in long-term, committed relationships.
The observations presented here are derived from extensive research across psychological laboratories and longitudinal studies examining the predictors of relationship dissatisfaction and betrayal. To simplify the classification of personality traits involved in such behaviors, I utilize the SelfFusion personality trait model, which refines and expands upon multiple personality frameworks by dividing each major trait into two distinct subcategories. This granular approach provides a more precise psychometric analysis of the behavioral tendencies leading to infidelity.
Defining Infidelity: Operational Criteria
For the purposes of this analysis, infidelity is defined as a sexual encounter outside of the primary relationship that is accompanied by deception—at minimum, lying about the event itself, and in most cases, deliberate obfuscation or repeated fabrications about multiple aspects of the situation.
Furthermore, the study of personality predictors of infidelity requires an operational definition of the relationship setting where such behaviors occur. The relationship structure analyzed here consists of:
A romantic, emotionally intimate, monogamous partnership (whether married or unmarried),
A cohabiting couple who share a mutual commitment based on emotional bonding,
A relationship duration of at least 18 months, as this period generally marks the stabilization phase of romantic attachment (Hazan & Shaver, 1987).
Both parties are grown up and live together in the same household.
These criteria allow for a focused analysis of female infidelity within the context of long-term relationships, rather than transient dating scenarios, where partner-switching is often governed by different motivational and neuropsychological mechanisms.
Two Levels of Infidelity: The Psychological Mechanisms Behind Betrayal
When analyzing the psychological anatomy of infidelity, we must distinguish between two interrelated but distinct components:
The Physical Act of Infidelity:
The initiation of a sexual encounter outside of the relationship, often as an attempt to fulfill unmet emotional or psychological needs.
Driven by a mix of impulsivity, sensation-seeking, dissatisfaction, and attachment dynamics(Shackelford et al., 2008).
The Active Deception Component:
Deliberate fabrication of an alternative explanation to the primary partner, covering up the act.
Repeated occurrences indicate intentionality rather than momentary lapses in judgment.
Lying about the event reflects cognitive and moral disengagement mechanisms (Bandura, 1999), where individuals rationalize their actions to minimize cognitive dissonance.
Individual Variability in Infidelity
Just as no two happy relationships are identical, no two cases of infidelity arise from the same emotional, psychological, or environmental conditions. This reflects what Leo Tolstoy famously observed in Anna Karenina:
"Все счастливые семьи похожи друг на друга, каждая несчастливая семья несчастлива по-своему."
("All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.")
Nonetheless, despite case-by-case variations, common psychological markers and personality traits consistently emerge across multiple studies on infidelity risk (Buss & Shackelford, 1997; Mark et al., 2011).
In summary, infidelity is not merely the result of situational dissatisfaction, but rather a personality-driven behavioral pattern that manifests through repeated acts of betrayal coupled with deception. If an individual engages in infidelity multiple times, the behavior transcends circumstantial explanations and moves into the realm of predictable personality-linked patterns — a crucial element in understanding who is more likely to cheat in long-term relationships.
Personality Traits of a Cheating Female Partner
Infidelity is rarely a product of a single trait or isolated behavioral tendency. Rather, it emerges from a constellation of interconnected personality traits, each contributing to a predisposition toward betrayal and deception. While situational factors may play a role, certain personality structures significantly increase the likelihood of infidelity.
One of the most consistently observed psychological markers among women prone to infidelity is low orderliness, a sub-trait of conscientiousness. This deficiency in structured value hierarchies plays a central role in both moral disengagement and impulse-driven decision-making, forming the psychological foundation for repeated acts of betrayal.
Low Orderliness: A Core Marker of Infidelity-Prone Personality Structures
Among female partners with a propensity for infidelity, one of the most defining characteristics is low or very low orderliness — a trait that reflects disorganization in both moral and behavioral domains.
1. The Absence of a Stable Value Hierarchy
Individuals with low orderliness struggle to internalize structured moral principles, instead prioritizing momentary gratification over long-term commitments.
Unlike highly orderly individuals, who follow a consistent internal framework for decision-making, those with low orderliness tend to reject rigid hierarchical value systems—instead adopting a fluid, self-serving approach to moral boundaries (Roberts et al., 2009).
Empirical studies on conscientiousness and ethical behavior consistently show that lower orderliness is correlated with a higher likelihood of dishonest actions, including infidelity (Miller et al., 2019).
2. The Link Between Low Orderliness and Low Conscientiousness
Orderliness is a fundamental pillar of conscientiousness, meaning that individuals who score low in orderlinessare likely to exhibit reduced conscientiousness overall (Roberts et al., 2014).
Low conscientiousness is one of the most reliable predictors of infidelity, as it is associated with impulsivity, lack of self-discipline, and failure to honor commitments (Buss & Shackelford, 1997).
Women who engage in repeated acts of infidelity often demonstrate this trait through a pattern of broken promises and unreliable behavior—not only in major moral commitments (e.g., marriage vows) but also in smaller interpersonal agreements, particularly with their primary partner and close family members.
3. Ethical Flexibility and Justification of Betrayal
Low orderliness correlates with higher levels of cognitive dissonance reduction strategies, meaning these individuals are more likely to rationalize their infidelity rather than experience profound guilt (Bandura, 1999).
They exhibit a greater tendency to reinterpret moral obligations when it serves their immediate emotional or physical needs, often convincing themselves that their actions are justified due to situational dissatisfaction(Mark et al., 2011).
Low Withdrawal: The Role of Emotional Volatility and Fearlessness in Female Infidelity
To accurately capture the psychological profile of a cheating female partner, it is crucial to differentiate neuroticism into two distinct sub-traits:
Volatility – Emotional instability, characterized by sudden outbursts, impulsive reactivity, and mood fluctuations.
Withdrawal – The tendency to experience anxiety, avoidance behavior, and stress intolerance.
This granular distinction is highly relevant in the context of infidelity, as it helps explain how some women repeatedly deceive their partners while maintaining a controlled outward demeanor.
The Psychological Profile: High Volatility + Low Withdrawal
1. Emotional Volatility: The Reactive Side of Neuroticism
Women who engage in repeated acts of infidelity frequently score high in volatility, meaning they:
Exhibit emotional instability, reacting with intense anger, frustration, or defensiveness when confronted.
Are prone to mood swings, expressing affection and hostility in rapid succession, which can create an emotionally unpredictable dynamic in the relationship.
Often use anger as a defensive mechanism, especially when accused or questioned about their behavior.
Studies on personality and deception indicate that volatile individuals are more likely to justify dishonest behaviorsdue to their heightened emotional impulsivity and lower impulse control (Paulhus & Williams, 2002).
2. Low Withdrawal: The Ability to Lie Under Pressure
At the same time, many female partners prone to infidelity exhibit low withdrawal, meaning they:
Experience low levels of stress, anxiety, and fear, even in high-stakes situations.
Have the capacity to lie with composure, without displaying the physiological or behavioral markers of distress that often accompany deception (Vrij, 2008).
When confronted by their partner, they are less likely to retreat or display nervousness; instead, they often counterattack or construct a structured, deceptive narrative to maintain control over the situation.
This combination of high volatility and low withdrawal creates a dangerous paradox: these individuals can be emotionally explosive, yet calmly deceptive when required.
3. The Fearlessness Factor: Tolerating Stress Without Breaking
Repeated infidelity within a cohabiting relationship requires an unusually high tolerance for stress and a lack of guilt-driven anxiety. Women who engage in ongoing deception must possess:
Fearlessness under confrontation — the ability to handle emotional conflicts without crumbling under guilt or anxiety.
Resilience to stress — they can rationalize their actions and continue deception without emotional collapse.
Cognitive control under pressure — when accused, they are more likely to respond with counterargumentsrather than admitting wrongdoing.
Research on dark triad traits and deception suggests that individuals who are low in withdrawal but high in volatilitydemonstrate a greater capacity for sustained deception and moral disengagement (Jonason et al., 2014).
Low Compassion: The Underlying Emotional Detachment in Infidelity-Prone Women
One of the most notable psychological contradictions in women who repeatedly engage in infidelity is the discrepancy between their self-perception of compassion and their actual behavioral tendencies.
While such individuals often portray themselves as deeply empathetic, morally upright, and altruistic, their real-world actions frequently betray a lower-than-average level of genuine compassion. This discrepancy is not accidental — it serves a psychological function, allowing them to rationalize behaviors that contradict the very principles they claim to embody.
1. The Self-Perception vs. Reality Gap
Women prone to infidelity frequently engage in self-enhancing moral narratives, presenting themselves as:
"Good and caring to the core"
"Having a heart of gold"
"Living for others"
However, when analyzed through observable behaviors rather than self-reported traits, their actual levels of compassion — particularly toward those directly affected by their actions (e.g., their committed partner and children) — are significantly lower than average.
Why Is This Psychological Pattern So Common?
Cognitive Dissonance Avoidance: Engaging in serial deception and betrayal while viewing oneself as compassionate creates severe psychological tension (Festinger, 1957). To resolve this dissonance, such individuals:
Reframe their infidelity as justified (“I wasn’t happy,” “I deserved better,” “It wasn’t a big deal”).
Downplay the emotional damage inflicted on their partner and children.
Redirect moral blame onto external circumstances, rather than accepting personal responsibility.
Moral Disengagement: They deactivate guilt mechanisms through rationalizations that allow them to maintain a positive self-image despite unethical actions (Bandura, 1999).
Compassion as a Social Facade
Women prone to infidelity may express selective compassion—often in socially visible contexts where their perceived kindness can be affirmed by others (e.g., public acts of charity, emotional support for friends, or causes that do not require deep personal sacrifice). However, this does not translate into genuine long-term emotional accountability in close relationships, where their low compassion is most evident.
2. The Impact on Children: Compassion Deficiency in Parental Dynamics
When infidelity occurs in the context of a family setting, the lack of genuine compassion extends beyond the original partner — it also affects the mutual children.
Women who exhibit low compassion but high self-perceived moral superiority:
Often fail to recognize the long-term psychological effects of their actions on their children.
Compartmentalize their betrayal, convincing themselves that their behavior does not negatively impact the family structure (despite overwhelming psychological research indicating otherwise) (Amato & Cheadle, 2005).
Show a reduced ability to prioritize long-term emotional security over short-term gratification—a hallmark trait of low agreeableness combined with high self-interest.
Paradox of Low Compassion + Low Agreeableness
Despite outward politeness, their overall agreeableness is low or very low.
Politeness and social charm can sometimes mask their underlying lack of genuine emotional concern—but only in superficial interactions.
The lack of deep interpersonal empathy makes them more capable of justifying betrayals without experiencing overwhelming guilt.
This combination of low compassion, moral rationalization, and self-serving justifications is a key enabler of repeated acts of deception in long-term relationships.
High Openness to Experience: A Psychological Amplifier of Infidelity
Among women prone to infidelity, higher-than-average openness to experience is frequently observed, particularly in its connection to creativity, sensation-seeking, and nonconventional attitudes toward commitment.
However, this heightened openness is often asymmetrical — while these individuals may score high in openness to aesthetics, emotions, and novelty-seeking, their openness to abstract ideas, philosophical reasoning, or structured moral frameworks tends to be lower. This imbalance creates a distinct psychological profile that, while not a prerequisite for infidelity, can serve as a behavioral amplifier, increasing the likelihood of engaging in and rationalizing unfaithful actions.
1. The Psychological Components of High Openness in Infidelity-Prone Women
Creativity and Nonconformity
High openness fosters an active imagination, aesthetic appreciation, and curiosity, which can translate into a greater willingness to explore emotional and physical novelty.
Women with high openness in certain domains but low openness in structured reasoning often redefine moral concepts in self-serving ways, making them more likely to justify actions that contradict traditional relationship norms (DeYoung et al., 2010).
Sensation-Seeking and Novelty-Driven Behavior
Research suggests that openness to experience correlates with increased sexual exploration and willingness to engage in unconventional relationships (McCrae & Costa, 1997).
These individuals are less deterred by social conventions and may perceive monogamous constraints as restrictive, leading them to rationalize infidelity as a form of personal growth or self-exploration.
Emotional Volatility and Impulsivity in High-Openness Individuals
While high openness is not inherently linked to impulsivity, individuals who exhibit high openness combined with high emotional volatility are more prone to engage in spontaneous, emotionally driven decisions, including infidelity (Buss & Schmitt, 2019).
2. The Limitation: Why High Openness Is Not Always Present
While high openness to experience can enhance the likelihood of infidelity, it is not a strict requirement for this behavioral pattern. Based on multiple case studies and psychometric profiles, women who engage in infidelity do not always score significantly higher in overall openness due to:
Lower openness to ideas: These individuals often lack deep intellectual openness and are less likely to critically analyze their own behaviors through an abstract moral lens.
Selective openness: Their curiosity is more experiential than philosophical, meaning they are driven by immediate emotional and sensory novelty rather than abstract reasoning or ethical reflection.
Conformity in non-romantic domains: Some exhibit high openness in personal experiences but remain conservative in other areas of life, making their infidelity behavior context-dependent rather than a reflection of broad personality-driven nonconformity.
Openness as an Amplifier, Not a Root Cause
While high openness to experience is not a prerequisite for infidelity, it serves as a facilitating trait that can increase the likelihood of engaging in, justifying, and sustaining unfaithful behavior. When combined with low conscientiousness, emotional volatility, and moral rationalization, high openness enhances the behavioral pattern of deception and betrayal.
High Assertiveness: A Key Psychological Marker of Infidelity-Prone Women
Among women who engage in repeated infidelity, high assertiveness is a consistently observed personality trait. Assertiveness, a sub-trait of extraversion, reflects a person's confidence in expressing their needs, controlling social interactions, and pursuing personal desires with minimal inhibition.
While high extraversion is often present, it is primarily assertiveness that plays a decisive role, rather than gregariousness (sociability). This means that while some cheating partners may be highly social and charismatic, others may exhibit less overt sociability but remain firm, dominant, and self-directed in their pursuit of desires.
1. The Psychological Profile: High Assertiveness and Its Role in Infidelity
Social Dominance and Risk-Taking Behavior
High assertiveness correlates with increased dominance in social and romantic settings, making these individuals more proactive in initiating and maintaining extradyadic relationships (Schmitt & Shackelford, 2008).
Women with high assertiveness but low agreeableness are less inhibited by traditional moral constraints and more likely to override social expectations in favor of personal satisfaction.
High assertiveness also predicts a greater willingness to take social and relational risks, including engaging in secret affairs despite potential consequences (Jonason et al., 2014).
Manipulative Communication and Rationalization of Infidelity
Highly assertive individuals are often skilled in persuasive communication, which allows them to effectively conceal infidelity and justify their actions when confronted.
Cognitive restructuring techniques (e.g., reframing cheating as self-liberation, emotional necessity, or a response to a partner’s failings) are frequently employed by individuals who are both highly assertive and extraverted(Buss & Schmitt, 2019).
Low withdrawal (low anxiety about confrontation) enhances their ability to maintain deception without showing distress signals, reinforcing their capacity to control the narrative in interpersonal conflicts.
Strategic Infidelity: Using Assertiveness to Maintain Multiple Relationships
Women with high assertiveness and low orderliness tend to view rules and relationship agreements as negotiable rather than absolute.
High assertiveness allows for active pursuit of secondary partners, rather than engaging in infidelity purely out of circumstantial dissatisfaction (Schmitt et al., 2017).
Their low withdrawal (fearlessness) means they are less likely to be deterred by the risks of exposure or the emotional consequences of betrayal.
2. The Interplay of Assertiveness with Other Traits in Infidelity-Prone Women
The Most Common Accompanying Traits:
While high assertiveness is a near-universal trait in infidelity-prone women, its expression varies based on other accompanying personality characteristics.
Low Compassion: High assertiveness, when coupled with low compassion, results in reduced concern for the emotional well-being of the original partner.
Low Withdrawal: This trait enables them to lie without displaying physiological stress responses, making deception smoother and more calculated.
Low Orderliness: The rejection of structured moral hierarchies allows them to rationalize unfaithful behavior as either a justified or inconsequential act.
Together, these psychological markers create a distinct personality configuration that is highly predictive of infidelity in long-term relationships.
The Psychological Overlap Between Infidelity-Prone Women and the Dark Triad: A Scientific Analysis
While the Dark Triad of personality — psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism — is traditionally studied in men, there is increasing empirical evidence suggesting that certain female personality configurations mirror these traits, particularly in the context of deception, infidelity, and relational manipulation (Jonason & Buss, 2012).
The personality traits previously analyzed—high assertiveness, low withdrawal, low orderliness, low compassion, and selective openness to experience—align closely with core psychopathic tendencies. Additionally, one of the most paradoxical features of such individuals is that they frequently project these very traits onto their original partner, accusing them of being cold, manipulative, dishonest, or emotionally detached—a classic case of psychological projection (Cale & Lilienfeld, 2006).
Comparison to the Traits of the Dark Triad
1. How These Traits Map to the Dark Triad, Especially Psychopathy
Psychopathy: The Core Trait of Emotional Detachment and Manipulation
Psychopathy, as defined in modern personality research, consists of two key dimensions:
Primary psychopathy – Emotional coldness, low empathy, and manipulative tendencies.
Secondary psychopathy – Impulsivity, poor behavioral control, and risk-taking behaviors (Hare, 2003).
The combination of traits observed in infidelity-prone women strongly mirrors elements of secondary psychopathy, particularly:
Low compassion → Emotional detachment and lack of guilt
Low withdrawal → Fearlessness under pressure, ability to lie without stress response
High assertiveness → Manipulative dominance in social interactions
Low orderliness → Rejection of moral and relational stability
Selective openness to experience → Strategic novelty-seeking rather than genuine intellectual curiosity
These individuals demonstrate a reduced ability to experience guilt, a willingness to manipulate, and a high tolerance for deception, all of which are hallmark features of psychopathy (Paulhus & Williams, 2002).
Machiavellianism: Strategic Deception and Social Control
Machiavellianism is defined by manipulation, deception, and long-term strategic thinking in interpersonal relationships (Christie & Geis, 1970).
Women who engage in repeated acts of infidelity while maintaining a structured deception toward their original partner exhibit high levels of Machiavellianism (Jones & Paulhus, 2011).
Their ability to construct rationalized, self-justified narratives — even under pressure — is a direct marker of Machiavellian social intelligence (Pilch, 2008).
Their use of selective emotional expression (e.g., dramatic emotional outbursts, feigned victimhood) serves as a control mechanism, ensuring that they maintain dominance in the relational dynamic.
Narcissism: Self-Justification and Projection of Guilt
Self-righteous moral superiority is a defining feature of narcissistic tendencies in infidelity-prone individuals(Raskin & Hall, 1981).
They engage in grandiose self-perception, where they frame themselves as the misunderstood protagonist, often casting their original partner as emotionally inadequate or responsible for the betrayal.
This moral inversion allows them to justify betrayal while simultaneously demanding unwavering emotional validation from their partner or new romantic prospects (Miller et al., 2011).
2. Pathological Lying: A Functional Extension of This Personality Profile
Lying is a necessary cognitive tool for individuals who engage in sustained infidelity, as maintaining deception requires:
Cognitive load management – The ability to construct and sustain multiple, often contradictory narratives(Vrij, 2008).
Stress resistance – The ability to withstand confrontation without displaying physiological distress markers, a trait strongly linked to low withdrawal.
Moral disengagement – The ability to depersonalize betrayal, reframing it as a justified or even necessary act(Bandura, 1999).
Because these individuals often lie repeatedly, even in situations where lying is unnecessary, their behavior aligns with pathological lying (Dike, 2008). Pathological lying is a common behavioral trait in individuals with psychopathy and high Machiavellianism, as they:
Deceive for personal advantage, rather than necessity.
Lie to maintain social dominance, rather than avoid consequences.
Experience minimal emotional distress while lying, allowing them to lie convincingly.
3. Projection: Accusing Their Partner of the Very Traits They Exhibit
One of the most consistent paradoxes in these individuals is their tendency to accuse their original partner of being cold, manipulative, dishonest, or emotionally detached—even when these traits are far more pronounced in themselves.
Why Do They Do This?
Projection as a Defense Mechanism:
By externalizing their own morally questionable behavior, they shift blame away from themselves and maintain an illusion of self-righteousness (Baumeister et al., 1996).
This allows them to avoid internal guilt or self-reflection.
Gaslighting as a Social Control Tactic:
By repeatedly accusing their original partner of being untrustworthy, toxic, or even sociopathic, they create a psychological smokescreen that makes it harder for the partner to detect the actual deception.
This technique is frequently used by individuals with high Machiavellian traits to disorient and manipulate social perception (Simon, 1996).
Moral Inversion:
By framing themselves as the victim—even when engaging in sustained deception—they reframe the narrative so that their partner becomes the perceived aggressor.
This justifies continued betrayal while positioning themselves as the wronged party in need of emotional validation.
4. Conclusion: The Dark Triad as a Behavioral Blueprint for Infidelity-Prone Women
While infidelity itself is not necessarily a marker of Dark Triad traits, the combination of high assertiveness, low compassion, low withdrawal, and deception-prone behavior strongly overlaps with psychopathic and Machiavellian personality features.
This particular psychological profile enables the following:
Serial betrayal with minimal guilt response (low compassion, high assertiveness).
Highly structured deception and persuasive lying (low withdrawal, Machiavellianism).
Manipulative redefinition of morality to justify actions (narcissistic moral self-righteousness).
Projection of their own traits onto their original partner (psychological defense mechanism).
Thus, while such individuals often accuse their partners of being toxic, untrustworthy, or emotionally manipulative, their own behavioral patterns align far more closely with Dark Triad psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism.
Scientific Estimate: 1 Out of 19 Women Engage in Such Infidelity
Based on multiple studies examining infidelity rates in long-term, mutually consensual relationships, an estimated 5% to 10% of women in committed relationships of 18 months or longer have engaged in infidelity characterized by deception and repeated extradyadic sexual encounters. Research from the General Social Survey (GSS) and the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) suggests that approximately 1 in 10 women admit to having cheated, while longitudinal data from the University of Washington indicates that rates fluctuate between 5% and 15% depending on demographic and contextual factors. Given these findings, a reasonable estimate based on the midrange of reported statistics suggests that roughly 1 out of every 19 women in long-term, emotionally bonded relationships engages in the type of infidelity described in this analysis — namely, repeated betrayal combined with sustained deception. However, these figures likely represent a conservative estimate, as self-reported infidelity rates tend to be affected by social desirability bias and underreporting.
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