Marital Status as a Candidate Moderator Variable of Male–Female Differences in Sexual Jealousy: The Need for Representative Population Samples

2001 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 553-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek
Keyword(s):  
Marital Status ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Eastern Austria

Evolutionary psychological theories predict pronounced and universal male–female differences in sexual jealousy. Recent cross-cultural research, using the forced-choice jealousy items pioneered by Buss, et al., 1992, repeatedly found a large sex differential on these self-report measures: men significantly more often than women choose their mate's imagined sexual infidelity to be more distressing or upsetting to them than an imagined emotional infidelity. However, this body of evidence is solely based on undergraduate samples and does not take into account demographic factors. This study examined male–female differences in sexual jealousy in a community sample ( N = 335, Eastern Austria). Within a logistic regression model, with other variables controlled for, marital status was a stronger predictor for sexual jealousy than respondents' sex. Contrary to previous research, the sex differential's effect size was only modest. These findings stress the pitfalls of prematurely generalizing evidence from undergraduate samples to the general population and the need for representative population samples in this research area.

A Review of Sex Differences in Sexual Jealousy, Including Self-Report Data, Psychophysiological Responses, Interpersonal Violence, and Morbid Jealousy

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine R. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Psychophysiological Data

The specific innate modular theory of jealousy hypothesizes that natural selection shaped sexual jealousy as a mechanism to prevent cuckoldry, and emotional jealousy as a mechanism to prevent resource loss. Therefore, men should be primarily jealous over a mate's sexual infidelity and women over a mate's emotional infidelity. Five lines of evidence have been offered as support: self report responses, psychophysiological data, domestic violence (including spousal abuse and homicide), and morbid jealousy cases. This article reviews each line of evidence and finds only one hypothetical measure consistent with the hypothesis. This, however, is contradicted by a variety of other measures (including reported reactions to real infidelity). A meta-analysis of jealousy-inspired homicides, taking into account base rates for murder, found no evidence that jealousy disproportionately motivates men to kill. The findings are discussed from a social-cognitive theoretical perspective.

Men's Desire for Children Carrying Their Genes and Sexual Jealousy: A Test of Paternity Uncertainty as an Explanation of Male Sexual Jealousy

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene W. Mathes
Keyword(s):  
Big Five ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Desire For Children ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Women College Students ◽  
Paternity Uncertainty ◽  
Psychology Courses

In a classic study, Buss, Larson, Westen, and Semmelroth found that men were more distressed by the thought of a partner's sexual infidelity (labeled sexual jealousy) and women were more distressed by the thought of a partner's emotional infidelity (labeled emotional jealousy). Buss and his associates explained the results by suggesting that men are concerned about uncertainty of paternity, that is, the possibility of raising another man's child while believing that the child is their own. To test this explanation, the Desire for Children Scale was created. Its internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities were .86 and .89, respectively. Scores correlate with stated Number of Children Desired (convergent validity) but none of the Big-Five traits (divergent validity). It was hypothesized that for men scores on this scale would correlate positively with scores on sexual jealousy. The Desire for Children Scale and the two Sexual vs Emotional Jealousy items of Buss and his associates were given to 49 men and 55 women college students enrolled in psychology courses. Their average age was 19.9 yr. ( SD = 3.7), and average year in school was 2.0 ( SD= 1.2). Subjects volunteered to participate in the study in exchange for course credit. The hypothesis was confirmed and gives support to the uncertainty of paternity explanation.

Sex Differences in Jealousy in Evolutionary and Cultural Perspective: Tests From the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 359-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bram P. Buunk ◽  
Alois Angleitner ◽  
Viktor Oubaid ◽  
David M. Buss
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Evolutionary Psychology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Psychological Model ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy

As predicted by models derived from evolutionary psychology, men within the United States have been shown to exhibit greater psychological and physiological distress to sexual than to emotional infidelity of their partner, and women have been shown to exhibit more distress to emotional than to sexual infidelity Because cross-cultural tests are critical for evolutionary hypotheses, we examined these sex differences in three parallel studies conducted in the Netherlands (N = 207), Germany (N = 200), and the United States (N = 224) Two key findings emerged First, the sex differences in sexual jealousy are robust across these cultures, providing support for the evolutionary psychological model Second, the magnitude of the sex differences varies somewhat across cultures—large for the United States, medium for Germany and the Netherlands Discussion focuses on the evolutionary psychology of jealousy and on the sensitivity of sex differences in the sexual sphere to cultural input

Relationship between Short-Term Sexual Strategies and Sexual Jealousy

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene W. Mathes
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Sexual Strategies ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Women Subjects ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy

In a classic study, Buss, Larson, Westen, and Semmelroth reported that men were more distressed by the thought of a partner's sexual infidelity (sexual jealousy) and women were more distressed by the thought of a partner's emotional infidelity (emotional jealousy). Initially, Buss and his associates explained these results by suggesting that men are concerned about uncertainty of paternity, that is, the possibility of raising another man's child while believing the child is their own. However, later they explained the results in terms of men's preference for short-term sexual strategies. The purpose of this research was to test the explanation of short-term sexual strategies. Men and women subjects were instructed to imagine themselves in a relationship which was either short-term (primarily sexual) or long-term (involving commitment) and then respond to Buss's jealousy items. It was hypothesized that, when both men and women imagined a short-term relationship, they would be more threatened by a partner's sexual infidelity, and, when they imagined a long-term relationship, they would be more threatened by a partner's emotional infidelity. Support was found for this hypothesis.

Linking infidelity stress, anxiety and depression: evidence from Pakistan married couples and divorced individuals

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneesa Azhar ◽  
Jaffar Abbas ◽  
Zhang Wenhong ◽  
Tanvir Akhtar ◽  
Muhammad Aqeel
Keyword(s):  
Marital Status ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Cultural Aspects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of marital status between infidelity and development of stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, to investigate the relationship among infidelity, stress, anxiety and depression among married couples and divorced individual. Design/methodology/approach A purposive sampling technique was used based on cross-sectional design. In total, 200 participants (married couples, n=100; divorced individuals, n=100) were incorporated from different NGO’s and welfare organizations of Rawalpindi, and Islamabad, Pakistan. Age ranged from 20 to 60 years. Two scales were used to measure the infidelity, stress, anxiety and depression in married couples and divorced couples. Findings The result revealed that emotional infidelity was positively significant correlated with stress (r=0.39, p=0.001), anxiety (r=0.40, p=0.001) and depression (r=0.35, p=0.001) for married couples. The result also displayed that sexual infidelity was positively significant correlated with stress (r=0.39, p=0.001), anxiety (r=0.39, p=0.001) and depression (r=0.34, p=0.001) for married couples. The result further elaborated that emotional infidelity and sexual infidelities were positively non-significant correlated with stress, anxiety and depression for divorced individuals. The analysis results revealed that marital status was moderator between infidelity and development of stress, anxiety and depression. Research limitations/implications This paper consisted of sample from three basic cities of Pakistan; thus, this paper finding may not be applied on whole population. Consequently, explanatory, exploratory and descriptive studies would be useful to enlighten the infidelity’s mechanism in prolongation of psychological distress across married couples and divorced individual in detail. Local tools to measure gender-related issues would be helpful in prospect while it combine cultural aspects as well. Social implications This study would be helpful in clinical settings to raise the awareness to effectively deal with their children. Originality/value The study recommended that those divorced individuals who had experienced either sexual infidelity or emotional infidelity were more likely to develop psychological problems as compared to married couples. This study would be helpful in clinical settings to raise the awareness to effectively deal with their children.

scholarly journals What feeds the green-eyed monster: sociodemographic and sociosexual determinants of jealousy

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28
Author(s):  
Ivana Hromatko ◽  
Marta Fajfarić ◽  
Meri Tadinac
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Continuous Measure ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Context Specific

Although studies consistently show gender differences in emotional vs. sexual jealousy, a substantial part of variance in jealousy is left unexplained. Here, we present two studies with aim to explore other correlates of jealousy, aside from gender. In the first online study (n = 2970), we found that participants who reported being more upset by the emotional infidelity scenario were older and more educated and had a higher income than those who reported being more upset by the sexual infidelity scenario. Those who expressed greater sexual jealousy gave higher ratings of importance of potential partner's mate value. Heterosexual women were more likely to report emotional jealousy than non-heterosexual women. Among men, sexual orientation did not predict type of jealousy. As the role of reproductive status was largely neglected in previous research, in the second study, we used a continuous measure to explore jealousy as a function of age (reproductive vs. post-reproductive; n = 199). We found that the older participants were less jealous overall, and that the previously reported gender differences disappeared in the post-reproductive group. These results provide further support for the notion that jealousy is a context-specific, adaptive response, which diminishes in both intensity and specificity as the threat that it was designed for wanes.

Evidence for conditional sex differences in emotional but not in sexual jealousy at the automatic level of cognitive processing

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Penke ◽  
Jens B. Asendorpf
Keyword(s):  
Sex Difference ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
Sociocultural Environment ◽  
Lower Education ◽  
Decision Speed

The two evolutionary psychological hypotheses that men react more jealous than women to sexual infidelity and women react more jealous than men to emotional infidelity are currently controversial because of apparently inconsistent results. We suggest that these inconsistencies can be resolved when the two hypotheses are evaluated separately and when the underlying cognitive processes are considered. We studied jealousy with forced‐choice decisions and emotion ratings in a general population sample of 284 adults aged 20–30 years using six infidelity dilemmas and recordings of reaction times. The sex difference for emotional jealousy existed for decisions under cognitive constraint, was also evident in the decision speed, increased for faster decisions, and was stronger for participants with lower education. No evidence for a sex difference in sexual jealousy was found. Our results support the view of a specific female sensitivity to emotional infidelity that canalizes the development of an adaptive sex difference in emotional jealousy conditional to the sociocultural environment. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

scholarly journals Romantická žárlivost u heterosexuálních a homosexuálních jedinců z pohledu evoluční psychologie

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-110
Author(s):  
Kateřina Potyszová ◽  
◽  
Klára Bártová
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Emotional Involvement ◽  
Romantic Jealousy ◽  
Emotional Infidelity ◽  
Sexual Jealousy ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Certainty Of Paternity

Jealousy is defined as one of the most common automatic responses to endangering a relationship by a third party, and in evolutionary psychology it has the function of maximizing self-reproduction fitness, ensuring paternity security in men, and maintaining partner's resources in women. These include romantic jealousy, in men assuring certainty of paternity, and in women assuring the maintenance of partner's resources. Thus, according to this logic, a woman’s sexual infidelity should be more threatening for men and a man’s emotional infidelity (emotional involvement with other women than a primary partner) should be more threatening for women. Many previous studies confirm the existence of sex differences in jealousy; men reporting a higher level of sexual jealousy and women reporting a higher level of emotional jealousy. On the contrary, studies of romantic jealousy in homosexual individuals show inconsistent results. Some studies suggest that the type of sexual and emotional jealousy does not depend on the sex of the individual who is jealous, but rather on the sex of the partner or the sex of the rival. Therefore, the aim of this review is to introduce romantic jealousy from an evolutionary perspective and to acquaint the reader with current knowledge of the study of cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of romantic jealousy in heterosexual and homosexual men and women.

Social support and mental health status of internal migrants in Beijing

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Jianhua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Internal Migrants

We investigated the mental health status of 320 internal migrants in Beijing according to gender, age, marital status, and monthly income, and examined the relationship between their mental health status and social support mechanisms. Participants completed the self-report Symptom Checklist-90-R and Social Support Rating Scale. Results showed that their mental health was significantly worse than the Chinese adult norm as assessed in 2017. Participants' social support varied according to age, marital status, and monthly income. Female participants younger than 30 years old with a monthly income lower than 3,000 yuan comprised the group with the most mental health disorder symptoms. They thus required greater personal attention to their health. The results suggested that social support can predict mental health among internal migrants. Directions for further research are discussed.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sleep Problems among Adolescent Students: Mediation by Depression or Anxiety

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
E-Jin Park ◽  
Shin-Young Kim ◽  
Yeeun Kim ◽  
Dajung Sung ◽  
Bora Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Relationship

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to be closely related to depression, anxiety and sleep problems. However, it remains unclear whether adolescents with ACEs have sleep problems regardless of depression or anxiety or under a mediating effect from depression or anxiety. Therefore, our aim was to examine whether depression or anxiety mediates the relationship between ACEs and sleep problems in adolescents by using a community sample. The Early Trauma Inventory Self Report–Short Form (ETISR-SF) and List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire (LTE-Q) were used to assess traumatic ACEs. Ultimately, data from 737 students (M = 448, F = 289, 15.1 ± 1.4 years old) were included in the statistical analysis. A total of 576 (78.1%) participants reported that they had experienced one or more ACEs. Adolescents with ACEs had higher levels of depression, anxiety and sleep problems than did adolescents without ACEs, and boys tended to experience more trauma than girls. Depression and anxiety partially mediated the relationship between ACEs and sleep problems. The results of this study suggest the need for depression and anxiety interventions for adolescents with ACEs to reduce the long-term consequences, including sleep problems and physical health problems.

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