Lecture 21-22: Jealousy Flashcards
STUDY: BUSS ET AL., 1992; Do Men and Women Differ in How They Feel About Infidelity?
Found: Men are more upset than women by sexual infidelity, where women are more upset than men by emotional infidelity.
Infidelity: Evolutionary Explaination
MEN: paternity uncertainty
- Men uncertain of paternity, so evolution favoured men who are sensitive to sexual infidelity.
- Men must avoid being “cuckolded” meaning they should control women sexual behaviour.
WOMEN: differential investment hypothesis
- Women invest more in parenting, so evolution favoured women who were more sensitive to threats of loss and investment from mate.
- Women must avoid getting ill or abandoned.
STUDY: HARRIS AND CHRISTENFELD (1996); Men Vs. Women Infidelity Beliefs
- 137 undergraduates given similar paradigm.
- Read: please think of a serious romantic relationship you’ve been in the past, imagine that you discover your romantic partner has become interested in someone else what will make you more upset?
a) Imagining your partner trying different sexual positions with that person.
b) Imagining your partner, falling in love with that person. - Found: Women more upset by emotional infidelity (love implies sex) , men more upset by sex (sex implies love)
“Double-shot” Hypothesis
- Responses to hypothetical infidelity based on differential implications, learn through socialization.
- Gender differences, and what each type of infidelity implies: Men believe that women sex implies love, Women believe that men’s love implies sex.
- Thus gender differences are due to different assumptions about sex, not necessarily different feelings toward it.
Methodological Explanation
Methodological challenge: These findings rely on the use of the terms “ upset” and/or “ distressed.”
- These terms are emotionally ambiguous.
- Affect should disappear when more specific terms are used.
***EXAM QUESTION (SHORT ANS POSSIBILITY)
STUDY: SABINI AND GREEN (2004); Differences or No Between Infidelity Beliefs in Men and Women (Reducing Methodological Reasons)
Asked to imagine, partner falling in love or having sexual intercourse.
- Participants in three samples: two universities, and general pop at train station.
Asked:
- Which one would upset you more?
- Which one would make you more angry?
- Which one would hurt you more?
- Which one would cause you to blame your partner?
- Found: Men and women both reported that they would be more hurt by emotional than sexual infidelity. Both men and women reported that they would be more angered by sexual than emotional infidelity. Both genders assign more blame to their partners for sexual infidelity versus emotional infidelity.
***No gender differences.
Jealousy Vs. Envy
Jealousy: “intolerance of a rival.”
Envy: “chagrin or discontent at the good
fortune of another.”
STUDY: DIJKSTRA AND BUNK, 1998; Jealousy by Attrative/Dominant Interloper?
- Participants as to imagine partner, flirting with an opposite sex person at a party, then are presented with a photo and personality profile of the interloper.
- Picture was someone who was high versus low in attractiveness.
- Personality depicted someone high versus low in dominance.
- DV: how jealous would you be in the scenario?
- Found: Women more jealous when interloper was attractive, status/personality didn’t matter; Men more jealous by both attractiveness and status/dominance.
STUDY: SLOTTER ET AL., 2013; Reacting to Rivals
- The presence of a threatening rival may motivate people to try and retain their partner’s interest.
- They do this by being similar to rival.
- 71 Participants in relationships rated themselves on 10 traits.
- Asked to imagine they were meeting partner for lunch, as they approach partner they see and hear their partner being asked for directions by attractive person.
- 3 Cond: Neutral: Gives directions and notices partner and smiles at them; Rival Flirtation: Rival flirts with partner, partner offers phone number for date, but remainds cordial; Partner Flirtation: Partner flirts with rival, when sees partner looks annoyed.
- P then viewed photo and personality of potential rival.
- Found: P most angered by Partner flirtation after viewing profile
WHY Do People Induce Jealousy?
To seek reward and to punish partner.
HOW Do People Induce Jealousy?
- RELATIONAL DISTANCING: Make plans without partner, vague about plans and people, say too busy to hang out, make plans with known rivals.
- FLIRTATION FACADE: Send flowers to self, leave fake numbers around for partner to find, leave pictures of others around.
- HIGHLLIGHT ALTERNATIVES: Talk about past partners or other men, compare partner to past partners, tell partner about others flirting with you.
Mate Guarding
Behaviours designed to keep out partners close to us from threats of jealousy/rivals.
- Two types: Intersexual, Intrasexual.
Mate Guarding: Intersexual
Intersexual directed at one’s own mate.
Mate Guarding: Intrasexual
Intrasexual directed at same-sex rivals.
Direct Mate Guarding: Three Ways
Vigilance, Concealment of Mate, Monopolizing Time
Direct Mate Guarding: Vigilance
Calling partner unexpectedly to make sure partner is where they said they were.
Direct Mate Guarding: Concealment of Mate
Taking partner away from party where other same-sex rivals may be present; trying to hide partner from other rivals.
Direct Mate Guarding: Monopolizing Time
Spending all free time with mate; to be psychologically close to them.
Intersexual Negative Inducments: Five Ways
Infidelity threat, Punishing mate’s infidelity threat, Emotional manipulation, Derogation of competitors, Violence.
Intersexual Negative Inducments: Infidelity Threat
Flirt with others infront of partner; make partner eyes on you so they don’t cheat.
Intersexual Negative Inducments: Punishing Mate’s Infidelity Threat
Getting angry with partner for flirting.
Intersexual Negative Inducments: Emotional Manipulation
Making partner feel guilty for talking to members of opposite sex.
Intersexual Negative Inducments: Derogation of Competitors
Insulting same-sex rivals in front of a partner.
Intersexual Positive Inducements: Four Ways
Resource display, Sexual inducment, Appearance enhancement, Submission and debasement.
