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Extra-marital sex - Belief Statistics Topic

What is your opinion about a married person having sexual relations with someone other than the marriage partner - is it always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? (XMARSEX)
(General Social Survey, 2021)


Extra-marital sex by Age

 18-2930-4445-5960-7475 or olderMissingTotal
Always wrong50.0%
138
56.4%
373
68.9%
399
64.4%
442
70.4%
178
13762.3%
1530
Almost always wrong26.8%
74
24.2%
160
18.0%
104
25.8%
177
22.1%
56
3523.3%
571
Wrong only sometimes16.3%
45
14.1%
93
10.4%
60
6.9%
47
5.5%
14
1310.5%
259
Not wrong at all6.9%
19
5.3%
35
2.8%
16
2.9%
20
2.0%
5
103.9%
95
Missing1303193283371301577138
Total 100%
276
100%
661
100%
579
100%
686
100%
253
   
2455

Extra-marital sex by Worship attendance

 NeverAbout once a year or lessSeveral times a yearOne to three times a monthNearly every weekEvery week or several times a weekMissingTotal
Always wrong48.9%
380
54.1%
364
65.5%
182
71.1%
155
76.1%
166
88.1%
400
2062.9%
1647
Almost always wrong29.3%
228
29.9%
201
21.9%
61
19.7%
43
17.0%
37
6.4%
29
722.9%
599
Wrong only sometimes15.4%
120
11.6%
78
9.4%
26
6.0%
13
6.0%
13
4.2%
19
310.3%
269
Not wrong at all6.3%
49
4.5%
30
3.2%
9
3.2%
7
0.9%
2
1.3%
6
23.9%
103
Missing401345125104113256141438
Total 100%
777
100%
673
100%
278
100%
218
100%
218
100%
454
   
2618

Extra-marital sex by Household income

 Under $5,000$5,000 to $9,999$10,000 to $14,999$15,000 to $19,999$20,000 to $24,999$25,000 or moreMissingTotal
Always wrong71.3%
62
68.6%
48
60.6%
66
71.8%
61
69.0%
69
60.3%
1126
23561.8%
1432
Almost always wrong14.9%
13
18.6%
13
24.8%
27
18.8%
16
17.0%
17
24.6%
459
6123.5%
545
Wrong only sometimes6.9%
6
10.0%
7
9.2%
10
7.1%
6
7.0%
7
11.2%
209
2710.6%
245
Not wrong at all6.9%
6
2.9%
2
5.5%
6
2.4%
2
7.0%
7
3.9%
72
104.1%
95
Missing57315855499421715190
Total 100%
87
100%
70
100%
109
100%
85
100%
100
100%
1866
   
2317

Extra-marital sex by Political ideology

 Extremely liberal or liberalSlightly liberalModerate, middle of the roadSlightly conservativeExtremely conservative or conservativeMissingTotal
Always wrong37.5%
210
50.3%
154
70.4%
643
69.7%
205
79.7%
419
3662.7%
1631
Almost always wrong36.8%
206
36.9%
113
16.5%
151
20.4%
60
12.9%
68
823.0%
598
Wrong only sometimes20.0%
112
8.5%
26
8.9%
81
7.8%
23
5.3%
28
210.4%
270
Not wrong at all5.7%
32
4.2%
13
4.3%
39
2.0%
6
2.1%
11
43.9%
101
Missing270184463182265143218
Total 100%
560
100%
306
100%
914
100%
294
100%
526
   
2600

Extra-marital sex by Religion

 ProtestantCatholicJewish/OtherNoneMissingTotal
Always wrong76.9%
884
65.8%
356
55.4%
108
40.3%
291
2862.9%
1639
Almost always wrong16.3%
187
22.2%
120
25.6%
50
33.2%
240
922.9%
597
Wrong only sometimes5.0%
57
8.5%
46
11.3%
22
19.8%
143
410.3%
268
Not wrong at all1.8%
21
3.5%
19
7.7%
15
6.6%
48
24.0%
103
Missing56528397399142538
Total 100%
1149
100%
541
100%
195
100%
722
   
2607

Extra-marital sex by Sex

 MaleFemaleMissingTotal
Always wrong57.9%
671
66.7%
959
3762.8%
1630
Almost always wrong23.7%
274
22.5%
323
923.0%
597
Wrong only sometimes12.8%
148
8.4%
120
410.3%
268
Not wrong at all5.6%
65
2.4%
35
53.9%
100
Missing578767143737
Total 100%
1158
100%
1437
   
2595

Related variables

A similar question appeared on Baylor Religion Survey, Wave I (2005)
Q35 How do you feel about sexual relations in the following circumstances... c. With someone other than the marriage partner (Q35C)


A similar question appeared on General Social Survey 2014 Cross-Section and Panel Combined, (Inapplicable Responses Coded as Missing)
What is your opinion about a married person having sexual relations with someone other than the marriage partner. Is it always wrong, almost always wrong, wrong only sometimes, or not wrong at all? (XMARSEX)


Notes

The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972, except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. This data file has all cases and variables asked on the 2021 GSS.

The 2021 cross-sectional General Social Survey has been updated to Release Version 3 as of July 2023. This Release includes the addition of respondent spouse/partner religious identities, socioeconomic statuses, and work information (including Occupation and Industry coding), and additional information about respondents' religious background.

To download syntax files for the GSS that reproduce well-known religious group recodes, including RELTRAD, please visit the ARDA's Syntax Repository.

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