Over the years I've come to the conclusion that one of the actual links between higher partner count and divorce is because many of the girls (and guys) who end up with a high n do so not because they want to engage in only casual sex but because they are simply not good enough in other ways to get the LTR out of it. Since sex precedes the relationship now girls will give up sex hoping for an LTR but they either demonstrate that they select the wrong type of guys for one, meaning that their is a greater likelihood that when they selected the guy to marry they selected the wrong one again, or they select the right kind of guy but after he gets to know them he realizes that they just aren't good enough to LTR up. Meaning that the problem is too low of SMV & RMV not the n count. The n count can just be a consequence of that.

There are also girls (and guys) who lower their standards after failing to get commitment after awhile. Inside those relationships one person may try to change the other person into the type of person they actually wanted. But this change never works and only serves to make the other person less attractive. At which point the changer intensifies their efforts resulting in the changee only continuing to become less attractive while also growing distant as they realize that the other person doesn't actually love them but the idea of who they 'could' be. I think the reason that their is stronger correlation for high n women and marriage instability is because the men who end up doing this often have very few options so they are unable to rack up a high n.

Personally I have no real problem with a girl who has a high n count. I don't see it as an actual issue. I do see it as something to investigate in the process of vetting a girl though. The same way I see a girl who is a virgin (past a certain age) as a red flag to be investigated for compatibility.

Just a thought I've had I don't feel particularly strongly about any of this. Would like to hear some other opinions though.

Edit - if you look at the data once a girl/guy goes past 15 notches the risk of marital instability actually decreases from the peak. It's still there and still a risk but less. Perhaps because after making that many attempts they start to figure out that the problem is with them so they change who they are selecting and/or increase their SMV and RMV.