The Incredible Link Between In-Laws And Infidelity

Remember those soul-curdling scenes where poor Ben Stiller is expected to weather the tyranical tauntings of patriarch Robert De Niro in Meet The Parents? Or what about Jane Fonda's Mommie Dearest-like antics toward her son's wife-to-be Jennifer Lopez in Monster-In-Law? Shudder, right? Enough to make anyone pencil in an indefinite rain check on that dinner date with your significant other's family. Parents Project Love Lives On Kids

Had those stories been real life and not Hollywood fiction, Ben Stiller and J.Lo would have been more likely to act on their wandering eye and cheat. According to a new study from The University of Iowa, a bad relationship with in-laws might make us more prone to infidelity. Indeed, Jack Byrnes' lie detector tests and Viola Fields' passive-aggressive comments about weight may have been just the ammunition needed to splinter through the relationship and sabotage it Tiger-style. Tiger Woods Admits He "Let Family Down"

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In other words, the study found that infidelity is less likely among couples who like each other's parents. Which makes sense—it's even harder to be outed as a philandering slimebag when you've bonded over beer and baseball with Pops.

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Other noteworthy news from the study: don't hook-up with your hot friend and expect romance, flowers and monogamy. Of the 783 men and women polled, women who hooked up with friends were 44 percent more likely to have multiple partners; men who knocked boots with gal pals were 25 percent more likely to be non-monogamous. (Perhaps those who sleep with friends are just naturally more promiscuous?) Friends with Benefits?

Also, not horribly surprising, men were more likely to cheat; 17 percent admitted to an indiscretion compared to the fairer sex's more demure 5 percent.