Sexual jealousy

• What is sexual jealousy?

  • Jealousy is an emotional state caused by a threat to a relationship. It motivates a person to deal with the threat.
  • It is also motivated by fear and rage where someone wants to protect and maintain the relationship.
• Male aggression?

  • Male aggression can happen if the person thinks that their partner has become unfaithful.
  • If the partner thinks that they have been unfaithful, this can lead to parental uncertainty.
  • Unlike the female, they are not sure whether the child can be theirs or not.
  • Men are at a risk of “cuckoldry” which would be investing in a child that is not theirs, a disaster in evolutionary terms.
• benefits of sexual infidelity?

  • Sexual infidelity acts as a cue to trigger sexual jealousy and become angry if they suspect their wives of sexual infidelity.
  • It has evolved to help a man protect their genes by making sure their investment is in their own offspring.
  • Males will employ a tactic where they stop their partner from straying.
• What is direct guarding?

  • Direct guarding is vigilance over the partner’s behaviour like checking texts or wanting to know where the partner is going.
  • This behaviour has been associated with violence - Wilson (1995) - Women who reported direct guarding had a 2x likelihood to suffer from physical violence.
  • 73% of these women reported medical attention and 50% feared for their life due to their partners. 
• Supporting study?

  • Evidence supporting the prediction of male aggression in response to a rival suitor is prevalent.
  • Young (1978) asked students to describe likely reactions to a jealousy inducing film where someone else “chats up” their partner in front of them.
  • The men predicted an angry response and got drunk while doing so.
  • The women said that they would cry pretending not to care or try hard to increase their own attractiveness.
  • This supports the sexual jealousy in men causing aggression.
• Supporting study for aggression?

  • Research into domestic violence also supports sexual jealousy causing aggression.
  • Abused women at a women’s refuge were studied and ⅔ reported jealousy of husbands.
  • A different study reported 100 cases and they found that husbands let out frustration with accusations of infidelity the most common complaint.
  • This shows sexual jealousy causes aggression. Data collected must be used carefully as reliance comes from testimonies from police reports carried at the time of the abuse.
  • Low socio-economic status and drug abuse have been shown to correlate as well