Sex Differences in Jealousy

Sexual jealousy is a complex reaction to a perceived threat to a valued relationship. There are different theoretical approaches to sexual jealousy (Pines, 1992); of those, the only two that refer explicitly to gender differences are the socio-cultural and the evolutionary approaches. In the socio-cultural view, jealousy is a cultural phenomenon determined by social forces; sex differences in jealousy are influenced by social norms that define for both men and women the situations that trigger jealousy and the appropriate responses. According to the evolutionary approach (Archer, 1996), jealousy is an innate and universal response shaped by different evolutionary forces for men and for women; sex differences in jealousy are the result of an essential male-female asymmetry in parental confidence. Because of the different risks they face, women are expected to be less jealous than men and less concerned with the sexual infidelity of their partners than with the potential loss of attention and resources. In a series of studies aimed at supporting the evolutionary theory's predictions, Buss et al. (1992) asked U.S. students which would distress them more-"a deep emotional attachment" or "passionate sexual intercourse"--upon discovering that the persons with whom they were seriously involved were interested in other partners. More men than women were upset by the possibility of sexual infidelity, whereas more women than men were upset by potential emotional infidelity. This conclusion (Buss et al., 1992) has been challenged by Hupka and Bank (1994). Using social-constructionist and social-role perspectives, Hupka and Bank argued that the finding of Buss et al. was the result of ascribed gender norms rather than the result of innate...

... middle of paper ...

...Social Psychology Quarterly, 48, 262-268. Hupka, R. B., & Bank, A. B. (1994, August). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution or social construction? Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, CA. Hupka, R. B., & Ryan, J. M. (1990). The cultural contribution to jealousy: Cross cultural aggression in sexual jealousy situations. Behavior Science Research, 24, 51-71. Pines, A. (1992). Romantic jealousy: Understanding and conquering the shadow of love. New York: St. Martin's Press. White, G. L. (1985). Gender, power and romantic jealousy. Unpublished manuscript, quoted in G. White & P. Mullen. (1989). Jealousy: Theory, research and clinical strategies (pp. 132-133). New York: Guilford Press. White, G. L., & Mullen, P. (1989). Jealousy: Theory, research and clinical strategies (pp. 58-75). New York: Guilford Press.