Are women naughtier than men?

By Gemma Francis via SWNS

Women are naughtier than men, comfortably topping a list of the top 50 modern-day indiscretions such as smuggling food into the movies, according to research.

A study of 2,000 adults found that women are also twice as likely to pinch some of their child’s chocolate and pretend to be busy to get out of doing something.

Four in 10 women admitted to throwing recyclables into the normal trash can compared to just 26 percent of men.

While a third owned up to keeping their head down to avoid an acquaintance they don’t really want to talk to, but just 17 percent of males do the same.

And 13 percent of women have dropped something on the floor but still served it to someone, something only seven percent of guys would do.

Women are also more likely to not mention it when they get given too much change, claim to have not received a text or email after forgetting to reply and pretend to be on the phone when walking past a charity collector.

Men aren’t complete saints though; they are more likely to shake up a fizzy drink before giving it to someone or serve meat to a vegetarian as they have no other options.

However, despite their naughty streak, women are the most honest, with 64 percent happy to confess to their crimes compared to just 58 percent of men.

And while 28 percent of women feel guilty after doing something they shouldn’t, only 19 percent of men feel the same way.

Andrew Denton, a spokesperson for Best Western, which commissioned the research to launch its Booking Good campaign, said: “So its official, women are naughty AND nice.

“They admit to doing more bad things than men, but they also feel more guilty.

“We think life would be boring if everyone was sensible, and it’s good to be individual and a little cheeky, however it looks like women are the ones who want to put their wrongs right in search of some good karma. Good for you girls.”

The study also found 49 percent of adults have a naughty streak, with other common misdemeanors including claiming to have no signal when they don't really want to talk to someone on the phone and pleading ignorance after spilling food or drink on items of clothing or home furnishing.

Others admitted to pinching a beer glass from a bar and leaving the tiniest sliver of toilet paper on the roll after using it, so they wouldn’t be the one who has to change it.

But it seems to get more sensible with age, with Gen Z and Millennials twice as likely to do something mischievous than Gen X or Boomers.

Those in the younger group, aged 18-26, do something naughty more than three times a week on average, while 27-42 year-olds follow close behind with nearly the same number.

In comparison, this drops to only twice a week for Gen X adults and just over once for Boomers.

However, younger adults are more guilt-riddled, with 26 percent of 18–26-year-olds admitting to feeling this way when they do something they shouldn’t while only 18 per cent of the older age group said the same.

The research, commissioned via OnePoll, also found 61 per cent of all adults will happily fess up if they’ve done something cheeky.

While four in 10 admitted they sometimes feel the need to do something good to make up for their mischievous behavior, such as performing a good deed (57 percent) or buying a gift (27 percent).

Andrew Denton, from Best Western, added: “We all have little moments of weakness where we have strayed a little from the path of perfection but there is no better way to make up for it than doing a good deed.

“That’s why we commissioned this research, because what better way to make up for a little indiscretion than to know you can make a hotel booking that supports Britain’s unique, local and independent businesses and communities and make you feel instantly good again.”

THE TOP 50 INDISCRETIONS:

1. Smuggled your own food or drink into the movies
2. Put something recyclable in the normal trashcan
3. Pretended to be busy to get out of doing something
4. Told a lie to get out of trouble
5. Kept your head down or pretended to be on your phone when seeing an acquaintance in a shop that you don’t really want to talk to
6. Spent longer in the toilet than you needed to get some extra peace and quiet
7. Not mentioned it when you are given too much change
8. Taken a beer glass from a pub or bar
9. Given something a ‘quick rinse’ instead of washing up
10. Pretended to throw a ball for a dog then watched it run off chasing nothing
11. Found something on the floor and kept it rather than handing it in
12. Claimed not to have received someone’s text or email when you forgot to get back to them
13. Broken wind and blamed it on someone else, or a dog
14. Pretended to be busy or on your phone when walking past a charity collector
15. Pretended your signal is bad when you didn’t want to talk to someone
16. Broken something and not owned up to it, or blamed it on someone else
17. Left a tiny sheet of toilet paper on a roll so you don’t have to be the one to change it
18. Pulled a sickie at work to get out of doing something you didn’t want to do
19. Changed your email to get multiple free trials/ new customer discounts
20. Put your rubbish in your neighbour’s bin because yours was full
21. Hidden something new you have bought or pretended you had it for ages
22. Pinched your child’s Easter or Christmas chocolate
23. Been sent duplicate items from an online retailer by mistake and not returned one
24. Left empty or nearly empty cartons or bottles in the fridge/ cupboards
25. Pinched food off someone’s plate while they weren’t looking
26. Told your partner something was in the sale/ reduced when you bought something new
27. Dropped food on the floor and served it to someone
28. Borrowed something from a friend or relative and ‘forgotten’ to give it back
29. Pretended to be asleep when your child woke up so your partner got up
30. Edited photos of yourself before putting them online
31. Shook a fizzy drink before giving it to someone
32. Looked at your phone at the dinner table when you have told your kids they shouldn’t do this
33. Watched ahead on a series you are meant to be watching with your partner
34. Claimed your email was stuck in your outbox when you simply forgot to do something
35. Stuck chewing gum under the table
36. Unfriended someone on social media and then pretended it must have been a tech error when picked up on it
37. Spilt something and then pretended it wasn’t you
38. Parked in a parent child space when you didn’t have a child with you
39. Pretended to be busy or asleep on public transport when someone needed a seat
40. Tried to ‘act dumb’ when you have bought the wrong train ticket
41. Borrowed your siblings’ clothes with asking them
42. Faked a family emergency to get out of a bad date
43. Flirted to get a freebie
44. Pinched coins out of your parents' change jar as they come in handy for parking
45. Swapped someone's name tag with yours if you don't like where you're seated at a wedding or function
46. Made someone a bad cup of tea or coffee so they don’t ask you to do it again
47. Pinched money from your kid’s piggy bank
48. Taken someone else’s food out of the office microwave to heat yours up instead
49. Told your child the chocolate you're eating is medicine
50. Served meat to a vegetarian and pretended it was meat free as you had nothing else to give them