Prime Time Affairs: A Quantitative Analysis of Infidelity in Popular Television Programs

A content analysis was conducted of infidelity depictions in popular television programs released in 2017–2018. Findings revealed that approximately one-third of the television programs sampled depicted infidelity behaviors or talk about infidelity; however, the amount of infidelity depicted did not differ by genre. Attraction to another was the main reason characters engaged in infidelity. Although the consequences of engaging in infidelity were primarily negative, these consequences differed by type of infidelity: Sexual infidelity incurred more positive consequences, and romantic infidelity incurred more negative consequences.