Widerman, Michael W. "Extramarital Sex: Prevalence and Correlates in a National Survey." The Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997):167-174. JSTOR. UPenn, Philadelphia. 7 Apr. 2008. Keyword: effects of extramarital sex.

    Michael Wiederman has put together a thorough survey of extramarital sex among married Americans. What's interesting about this survey is that he prefaces it by giving the different results of various other surveys that have been conducted throughout various times in the twentieth century. In a 1948 survey sociologists found that one-third of men and one-fifth of women have had extramarital sex. A recent survey in 1990 showed that that number had climbed to one-half for men and almost the same for women. 1.5% of those surveyed admitted to having extramarital sex in the past year. Wiederman notes that a problem with these surveys is people's honesty or lack thereof in answering questions. For example, when a spouse is in the room with someone taking a survey the person is much more likely to lie about having an extramarital affair. The same result occurs when a random stranger is in the same room as someone taking the survey. A 1994 phone survey showed that 19% of men and 15% of women have had extramarital sex. For men, the incidence of extramarital sex was pretty constant throughout the span of their lives (e.g. 60 year olds had as much extramarital sex as 20 year olds). However, for women the incidence peaked around the age of 40. Black and Hispanic women had noticably higher rates than white women. Men are much more likely than women to have an extramarital affair. Thus, Wiederman's own findings that 21% of men and 11% of women have had extramarital sex is not far from any data already collected. Additionally, he found that men peaked at 60-69 years of age (34%) and women peaked at 40-49 years (19.3%).
    This survey is relevant to The Graduate because of Mrs. Robinson's seemingly endless desire to sleep with Benjamin Braddock. She is certainly somewhere around 40 years old since actress Anne Bancroft was 37 when the movie was released. The affair between her and Benjamin is the pillar on which the entire movie is founded. If it weren't for this affair Mike Nichols' commentary on society's unrest in the 1960s would be much too mainstream and blatantly obvious. The affair between a suburban socialite and young college graduate is an unlikely storyline, yet Nichols was able to produce a meaningful social commentary with a unique set of circumstances.