Just because you're in a serious relationship doesn't mean you can't enjoy a little harmless flirting now and again, like catching the eye of that cute guy at the bar just because you know you can. And you wouldn't necessarily begrudge your significant other a little charming conversation with another girl, as long as he didn't take things any further than talking. But a new study suggests that if your partner is flirting with other girls online, he might be looking for more than just a little chat.

Online relationships have been at the forefront of the news lately, ever since U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner admitted to carrying on several flirtatious internet conversations with girls he met on social networking sites. But, Weiner swore, he never had physical relationships with any of the girls. Does that mean he never intended to take things off the web?

According to a study published in the journal Sexuality & Culture, online flirting often leads to real-life cheating. The researchers studied several married people on a dating site dedicated to extramarital affairs to see if they'd be content to keep their relations in cyberspace, or if they'd eventually want to meet up in real life. As it turned out, most of the people eventually wanted physical contact - probably not surprising, since the site was explicitly dedicated to cheating. But still, the findings could have serious implications for whether or not you'd forgive your partner for texting another girl or flirting on Facebook.

"While social networking sites are increasingly being used for social contact, people continue to be more interested in real-life partners, rather than online partners," the researchers explained.

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