Why Do Men Cheat?

It's the extramarital affair that has everybody talking.

Peter Cook, the husband of former supermodel Christie Brinkley, is accused of carrying on an affair with a 19-year-old named Diana Bianchi.

Brinkley and Cook are now separated, after 10 years of marriage.

And the question everyone's asking is, "Why would anyone cheat on Christie Brinkley?" And that begs the more general question of what prompts men to cheat, period.

Stephen Perrine, editor in chief of BestLife magazine, and Nicole Beland, deputy editor of Women's Health magazine, discussed it all on The Early Show Thursday with co-anchor Hannah Storm.

"Why," Storm wanted to know, "would a man cheat on someone gorgeous like Christie Brinkley? It's happened to … (other) beautiful, successful women (as well)."

"Successful, powerful women," Perrine said. "And a lot of times, the guy is cheating with someone not quite so powerful, maybe less threatening. In this instance, it's really interesting, because the first thing Cook did when he (allegedly) wanted to begin an affair with her was offer her a job, and created a position where he was in power."

"So," Storm followed up, "we're saying that this is really not all about sex. In fact, it might be about ego?"

"I think," Beland responded, "it's not all about sex, although 80 percent of men who do cheat on their wives, they say it's about sex. But I think it comes down to one thing, and that's integrity. There are a lot of reasons why you might feel an urge to cheat on your spouse, but there's one reason you don't, and that's because you have respect for your vows. … I think (men who cheat on their wives) have a weakness of character."

"It's definitely a little softness there in the moral core, absolutely," Perrine agreed.

Cook is 47, Bianchi is 19 and Brinkley is 52, so Storm asked how age might be a factor.

"Again," Perrine suggested, "I think it's that power dynamic. An impressionable woman might worship you and think you're great."

"I don't think it's so much fear of getting old (on the man's part)," Beland offered, "as much as it is about power. … I do think, when a man is very insecure, he doesn't want to feel threatened, he wants to feel as if he's in control, so he goes for a young woman, who's more malleable."Storm noted that there are other women now claiming they, too, had affairs with Cook.

Storm asked if men who cheat may generally be serial cheaters.

"I think people can change, but I do think that a lot of men who do cheat can get into this kind of serial power trip," Perrine observed. "Again, it's like any other drug. You need more to make you feel high, and I think that's what cheating does for men who have this kind of weakness."

"And maybe," Storm said, "women should be beware if they're with a married man and they end up marrying him, the same thing can happen. The cycle can perpetuate itself."

"I've said it before: If it does it with you, he'll do it to you," Beland concurred.

As for whether the socio-economic position of the man plays any part, Perrine said: "People who make $75,000 or more generally — both men and women — are more likely to cheat. Part of that is because they feel they're a little bit above the rules. They have a lot of people who report to them. So they feel that they can kind of manipulate and control the situation.

"At the same time, they also spend a lot of time at work, and they're exposed to a lot of people, maybe clients. There are business trips that may play into it."

Added Beland, "If someone has made work and money a priority, they probably haven't made relationships and family life their priority."

"Is this a problem in our country right now?" Storm asked. "Because we see more women are cheating, especially young married women are cheating in greater numbers."

Beland replied: "I think we're not prioritizing values. I really think cheating is more about your personal relationship to yourself and your own values than it is about your relationship with your partner. And I think values need to be made a priority."

One possible way to curb such behavior, Perrine commented, is to not put yourself in compromising situations, where you might be tempted: "A lot of it is 'avoiding the occasions of sin,' as the Sisters of Mercy might say. Don't have the intern bring the pizza into the Oval Office! That's a good rule to follow."

And what would the advice be for women? Are they choosing wrong kinds of men? Should they be looking specifically for a man they think is going to be faithful? Should that be right at the top of list?

"It should, absolutely," answered Beland. "Often, we go for a man who sweeps us off our feet and gives us the most attention and seems the most smitten with us. And, absolutely, we should be going with a man who is committed to being with one woman for the rest of his life, who makes monogamy a priority."