European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Elite a epidemic in America by William e. Schmidt new York times like the overheated characters on television soap operas a lot of the research into american sexual behaviour has t done much for the notion of marital Fidelity. Some studies suggest that anywhere from 30 percent to 70.percent of married men and women in the United states have had affairs. Now a random nationwide Public opinion sampling gathered by the Gallup organization is offering what it Calls new evidence to the contrary a that married americans May be More monogamous than most people believe and that Fidelity and love Are alive and Well. The findings Are in a report faithful attraction written by the Rev. Andrew m. Greeley the Chicago priest sociologist and novelist. He concludes from the Gallup data that fewer than one in 10 currently married people has been unfaithful to his or her spouse. Quot marital Fidelity is epidemic in America Quot Greeley says in his article in the March Issue of the Magazine psychology today. Among other things his statistical snapshot of modern marriage concludes four out of five married people say they would marry the same person again. Other conclusions Are that 61 percent of married people Pray together 39 percent take Baths or showers together and 20 percent have bought erotic underclothes. But among some sex researchers and sociologists a and cynics a the poll is Likely to raise As Many questions As it proposes to answer. It s described As a Survey on family and religion and was commissioned by psychology today and two National television programs King world s inside edition and Abc s Home show. The Survey based on a nationwide Telephone Sample of 657 currently married a and not separated a men and women older than age 18 had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percent. Its findings take Sharp Issue with the findings of icons like or. Alfred c. Kinsey the sex researcher who in the 1950s, suggested that As Many As half the married men of the time and a Quarter of the married women had had extramarital affairs. The Survey also contradicts the More recent work of writers such As Shere Hite whose 1987 study women and love a cultural revolution in Progress concluded that 70 percent of women married More than five years were having affairs. Her research was later attacked As crude and representing Only the discontented. Now Colin j. Williams the former senior researcher for the Kinsey Institute in Indiana has ridiculed Greeley a work As Quot very naive Quot and among other things criticized Gallup s use of a Telephone Survey to ask people about their sex life. Quot if i were having an affair i sure would t answer their questions about extramarital sex if my wife is in the next room Quot said Williams who is a sociologist at Indiana University s Indianapolis Campus. Quot what if someone picks up the Extension Quot Williams asked. Quot How do i know for sure who is even calling like a lot of father Greeley a work it makes great pulp fiction but its hardly  but Tom w. Smith director of the general social Survey at the University of Chicago s National opinion research Center said the work by Greeley and Gallup is important because through it random scientific polling techniques had been used to address questions of sexual behaviour. Quot Given the importance of sexual behaviour and its Broad social implications there is no question this is the most under researched topic among All the social sciences Quot Smith  was data from the National opinion research Center s annual general social Survey that inspired the Gallup Telephone poll and Greeley a works. In 1988 and 1989, inspired by growing concern Over aids researchers asked four specific questions about sexual behaviour. The questions were on a questionnaire the respondents filled out and sealed in an envelope a method intended to increase Confidence in confidentiality. The respondents were asked How Many sexual partners they had in the previous 12 months. When Greeley and Smith tabulated the data for married people they found that fewer than one in 20 said they had More than one sexual partner Over the previous 12 months. Quot the numbers astonished me Quot said Greeley. Of the people with whom the authors talked about 30 percent of husbands married More than 10 years said they had had extramarital affairs and about 20 percent of wives did. Michael Hout chairman of the sociology department at the University of California at Berkeley said the Gallup Survey should be regarded Quot As a first step an important step a the questions Rev. Greeley is raising ought to help shape a future research  Ufa stars and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores i count you Tan count on the United states military almanac is a stars and stripes super Saver selection for the month of March. You la save $7 off the original cover Price of $24.95 for this chronology spanning the entire scope of America s history in combat a from the fight for Independence by ill armed revolutionaries burning with courage and the thirst for Freedom to the nuclear strategies of a world superpower. The discounted Price for the United states military almanac is Only $17.95 at a stars and stripes shopping Center Bookstore near you. And you can save 25% off or More on this month s selection of other super Saver hardcover titles. These include cooking a painting course an encyclopedia of aviation children s fairy tales embroidery playing the guitar photography and More. You la find stars and stripes bookstores Well stocked with paperbacks magazines and hardcover books discounted for you. Customer savings already total More than $740,000 in fiscal 1990. Stop in and save at a stars and stripes Bookstore today stars and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores co h it 30 co it z o c/3 h 5 of m co cd o o to % o 30 m co tuesday March 6,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17