Look But Don't Touch?: Self-Regulation Determines Whether Noticing Attractive Alternatives Increases Infidelity

People regularly encounter tempting alternatives to their relationship partners, and it has been argued that paying attention to desirable alternatives increases the risk of infidelity. However, whether the temptation of noticing attractive alternatives leads to actual infidelity should depend on the ability to resist such temptation. More specifically, taking heed of attractive others should increase the likelihood of infidelity only when people lack self-regulatory ability. One experiment and one longitudinal study of newlyweds both demonstrated that the implications of attending to attractive alternatives for infidelity depended on participants' self-regulatory ability to resist such temptations. Specifically, the tendency to notice attractive alternatives was associated with greater infidelity among those with poorer self-regulatory ability, but not among those with greater self-regulatory ability. These results further understanding about how people can maintain and protect their relationships in the face of temptation.