There’s apparently a pattern when it comes to cheating with a new survey showing couples who slip into extramarital affairs tend to do so on one particular day of the week. And if you’re feeling suss on your significant other or you yourself are concerned about cheating on your partner, then you may have good reason to be wary about this very specific day and time.
According to a survey of 1,000 members from extramarital dating site, IllicitEncounters, the day cheating is most likely to occur is Friday, and more specifically at 6.45pm. The survey also revealed that cheating tends to most commonly occur twice a week, with the second most popular time being Tuesday nights.
As for where this cheating takes place, well, the data collected presented an answer to that, too. Almost a third of respondents cited the gym as their preferred place to seek out a side piece while social work events like Friday night drinks and Christmas parties came in second for 26% of participants.
Social media platforms are another popular place for meeting lovers, at least for 17% of respondents. Regularity was also key for study participants, with 64% of respondents saying they kept their cheating habits to a schedule in order to quash suspicion from their partners.
“What this new research shows is that cheats are creatures of habit,” company spokesman Christian Grant says in a statement. “They have strict routines, which they tend to stick to when they are seeing their lover.”
According to Grant, there could be one way to tell if your partner has been doing the nasty behind your back. “If your partner regularly goes out with work colleagues on a Friday night, this should raise suspicions, particularly if they always go out with you the following night,” he says.
Yep, apparently the Saturday night date isn’t quite the romantic event we thought, but rather a sign of guilt from a cheating partner. “The Saturday night date is partly due to guilt over the Friday night liaison,” he says.
But do we really believe this, though? Is a small-scale study of just 1,000 people who have already made enough of a commitment to cheating that they’ve joined an app designed for it, an accurate measurement of data to inform the masses? We think not.
Just because your partner has a work event on a Friday night does not mean they’re out to cheat on you. Likewise for going to the gym — especially given exercise is key to self-care and feeling confident in oneself, it’s somewhat damaging to assume that anyone who cares to improve their physical form must be seeking out some action on the side.
Cheating, while it sucks when it’s happening to you, is fairly common. And if you’re concerned your partner is going behind your back with someone else then talking to them openly and calmly will always be the best way to sort through any issues.