December 23, 2008
Comfort Food Same as Cheating Says New Theory
It may not pass scientific muster, but a leading private investigator has developed a theory linking financial hardship such as that experienced during a recessive economy, with an increase in marital infidelity. Likening it to other actual, proven science, the recipe for Mark McAlpin’s Adultero Solatium (combining the Latin words for unfaithful marriage partner and compensation, or solace) theory combines raw numbers from his own investigative practice with a bit of arm-chair psychology and an unmeasured pour of biochemistry. Admittedly a scientific lay person, the PI says he has been rolling this theory around in his head for years, and the numbers have consistently evinced his hypothesis.
In the simplest terms, the theory builds on the famous concept of “comfort food,” the ill-advised eating patterns of those sad, stressed, or worried.
“The human body wants to feel good. When people face physical, emotional or even mental pain or stress, they normally engage in activities that will either remove the pain or counter it with pleasure. Chocolate, ice cream, booze, a hot bath or log message, illegal drugs, pick your poison.”
Diluted to it’s simplest explanation, it’s all about brain chemistry. Endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. People who are stressed or upset actively seek out pleasure to dull the pain. This theory is only different from the accepted psychological responses in that it includes sexual and/or emotional pleasure.”
His proof? Numbers from his skip tracing site Cellulartrace.com. The investigative agency, which mainly offers cell phone number search investigations, counts suspicious spouses/partners as the bulk of its clientele. But McCalpin insists that people’s doubts, and their subsequent requests for information always increase during times of trouble, such as a recessive economy. There have also been spikes in orders from the areas hardest hit by layoffs, etc.
“The post 9/11 economy buried us with requests,” McAlpin recalls. “While others were laying off, we were almost too busy.”
Although customers don’t do not usually discuss the reason for their request, McAlpin says the trends are really easy to spot.
“When 85-90 percent of searches are females wanting to identify phone numbers belonging to other females, and the same for the male clients, it is pretty clear what’s going on. The searches involving people asking for information on people of the same sex jumped from 50 to 90 percent in the weeks after the 9-11 attacks. Also, a ton of new orders from the Palo Alto area spring up after the first round of HP lay offs a few years ago. We’re seeing the same thing right now in places facing big layoffs, and the orders coming in from the Detroit metro area show a clear trend, as well. It’s, pretty hard to dismiss all of this.”
The seasoned PI says he has seen similar spikes in phone number search orders from clients in other areas hit with economic trouble, or natural disasters.
“There are obviously smaller examples of this, but I don’t look into every increase from every area. There are clearly layoffs, factory closings and fires and other disasters all over the country. I’m sure the theory is exemplified in those situations, as well.”
It has been shown that in over 85% of cases, people who felt their partner was cheating, were right. So it stands to reason that the more suspicion of a cheating partner, as evinced by all these phone number trace orders, the more actual cheating was going on. And with the kind of glaring increases in infidelity following a downturn, recession, or disaster, it seems pretty clear that there is something to all of this.
The lack of definitive detail and corroborating outside evidence supporting the theory will surely lead some to dismiss the merits of the hypothesis. But McAlpin says this doesn’t bother him in the least.
“I have no plans to write a dissertation on this, I just find it interesting. If this theory helps someone discover, or better yet avoid, hanging a scarlet “A” on themselves or seeing one on their spouse, great. If those in the behavioral field see some merit, maybe someone will conduct some research that will bear the seal of scientific approval. For me it is just an interesting footnote to the way I track business trends.”
McAlpin’s site, cellulartrace.com has helped countless with their infidelity concerns, from watching for signs of cheating, to actually busting the cheater, usually with the cell phone number search investigations the site is best known for.
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