Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Gallup Poll: 91 Percent of Americans Disapprove of Extramarital Sex

Aired July 09, 2001 - 07:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A good opportunity right now to talk about extramarital sex and your opinions on it. Have attitudes changed over the years regarding extramarital sex? The answer may actually surprise you.

So let's talk about these findings on infidelity in America, Gallup Poll editor-in-chief Frank Newport exploring every topic on the face of this planet.

Frank, what did you find out?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Indeed -- good morning, Carol.

One of your writers on e-mail just used the word forbidden sex, and indeed, that's kind of how Americans continue to look at it. We think it may actually be evolutionary, kind of like incest. Americans, no matter what, still say extramarital sex is bad. We just updated these attitudes, actually, just recently, in our values poll.

Notice over here, when we're talking about premarital sex, you've only got 38 percent who say that's wrong, and that has changed over time. That used to be a majority; that's really come down.

But when we talk about extramarital sex, that's where I think that's more like some kind of basic fundamental norm in human society. No, 91 percent of Americans say that it's wrong to have extramarital sex. And look at the trend: You mentioned, Carol, how that changed over time. We've matched up our measures with those that were begun by NORC, National Opinion Research Corporation, out of the University of Chicago, way back in 1973, and it was 83 percent. And actually, people have become more stringent in saying no, it is wrong, over time, rather than less. Exactly the opposite pattern for premarital sex -- very, very interesting here.

Now, the paradox is Americans still say, however, if a politician does it, it may not matter that much. A couple of years ago, there was a man named Bill Clinton that was involved in some similar things. We asked what would matter to you for a presidential candidate. We thought that was relevant to bring it back up. Here's what people care about: an alcoholic, don't pay debts, gambling problems. But look at the bottom, Carol: had an affair; just 33 percent of Americans back then said that that matters, and we think that still pertains today.

So all in all, our bottom line, Carol, is it's wrong, but it looks like if you're an elected official, generally speaking, the public's not holding it against you -- Carol.

LIN: That's interesting. When you actually take these polls, Frank, do you ask the people you're talking to whether they've had extramarital sex? I mean how many of the married couples you actually interviewed say that they had an affair?

NEWPORT: Well, we don't ask that. It's an interesting question. We kind of think you're asking the husband. The wife's on the other end of the extension. Actually some researchers who are very careful have tried to do it, but it's very expensive, you have to promise them anonymity.

We did do the second best thing, Carol. We said do you know anybody who's had an affair married? Fifty percent plus of Americans say yes. And we said how many men do you think have had affairs, and the majority of Americans think half or more married men have had affairs -- slightly smaller numbers that think women have had affairs that are married.

So all in all, Americans despite those attitudes, Carol, not talking about themselves, but generalizing, think that having affairs is very, very widespread in America today.

LIN: Right, and that's interesting, given the high percentage of people who disapprove of extramarital affairs.

NEWPORT: Precisely. It's wrong, but most people do it is kind of what we're hearing Americans tell us.

LIN: Thanks so much, Frank Newport, with everything you need to know.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com