Jealousy: experience, emotion, and evolution
Both current and previous romantic relationships may have serious effects on a person's reactions to infidelity. Murphy et al (2006) confirmed previous research that showed that men tended to be more jealous over sexual infidelity while women tended to be more jealous over emotional infidelity (see "The Jealous Type", 10/25/06) but also found that within-sex, men who had been in serious, committed romantic relationships tended to be more upset about infidelity than men who had never had this experience. Jennifer Bevan (2006) suggests that jealousy arises from partner uncertainty, and specifically, that uncertainly precedes jealousy.
The reasoning behind current thought on reactions to infidelity is an evolutionary one (see Buss and Haselton, 2005). Women are thought to be more affected by emotional infidelity because it may result in a loss of resources, while men are more affected by sexual infidelity because it may result in a failure to pass on their genes.
These models of jealousy are not mutually exclusive. Personal jealousy may start with doubt, regardless of the species origins of the reaction. It may even be a reaction to doubt. The evolutionary argument is that jealousy is a useful response in terms of passing on genes. Does that mean that the response is of necessity hard-wired and unavoidable? It certainly feels that way when it hits. Women have told me that the revelation of infidelity is "world-destroying", and crushes their self-esteem. The men I have known respond with more externalized hatred, devaluing their partner for their failure. This is consistent with men=externalizing/women=internalizing models of behavior.
The reasoning behind current thought on reactions to infidelity is an evolutionary one (see Buss and Haselton, 2005). Women are thought to be more affected by emotional infidelity because it may result in a loss of resources, while men are more affected by sexual infidelity because it may result in a failure to pass on their genes.
These models of jealousy are not mutually exclusive. Personal jealousy may start with doubt, regardless of the species origins of the reaction. It may even be a reaction to doubt. The evolutionary argument is that jealousy is a useful response in terms of passing on genes. Does that mean that the response is of necessity hard-wired and unavoidable? It certainly feels that way when it hits. Women have told me that the revelation of infidelity is "world-destroying", and crushes their self-esteem. The men I have known respond with more externalized hatred, devaluing their partner for their failure. This is consistent with men=externalizing/women=internalizing models of behavior.