Transcript EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY, SESSION 6: MALE MATE …

Evolutionary Psychology.
Workshop 8: Jealousy.
Learning Outcomes.
 At the end of this session you should be able to:
 1. Briefly review the evidence and methodology concerning
sex differences in jealousy.
 2. Carry out a small study concerning possible sex
differences in sexual versus emotional jealousy and mate
retention tactics.
 3. Collate the date from the group and discuss the findings.
Background.
 Both sexes are upset by a current partner's actual (or
perceived) infidelity.
 Evolutionary psychologists have argued that male jealousy
is more likely to be triggered by threats of sexual infidelity,
while female jealousy is more likely to be triggered by
threats of emotional infidelity (Buss, 2000).
 According to Pietrzak et al., (2002) the evidence for such
assumptions has come from 3 sources:
 1. Forced-choice studies: Participants have to select
between jealousy-inducing scenarios.
 2. Continuous rating scales: Participants rate the extent of
their upset to scenarios.
 3. Physiological response studies: Physiological variables
are monitored while participants imagine jealousy-invoking
situations.
Methodological Problems.
 1. Forced-choice studies reveal very different proportions of
males and females feeling greater upset to one scenario or
another.
 2. Continuous rating scale studies actually find little
differences between mean ratings of males and females.
 3. Physiological studies provide variable data and are often
unreplicated.
 4. Measures of jealousy are not sufficiently specific to allow
for subtle gender differences to be apparent.
 5. With self-report items there is the possibility that people
respond in a manner that they think is socially desirable.
 6. Most studies have used college-age students rather than
people in long-term romantic relationships.
 Harris (2000), Wiederman & Allgeier(1993)
Pietrzak et al., (2002) Study.
 Participants selected an infidelity scenario which would
distress them more, provided continuous ratings on the
extent of their emotional distress, while physiological
variables were being monitored.
 73% of males reported greater distress to the sexual
infidelity scenario.
 96% of females opted for the emotional distress scenario.
 Males reported stronger feelings of anger, rage and
betrayal while imagining sexual infidelity.
 Females reported stronger feelings of anger, anxiety and
fear while imagining emotional infidelity.
 Males showed greater physiological responses to the sexual
infidelity scenario while females showed greater
physiological responses to emotional infidelity
Tasks.
 1. To assess sex differences in subjective distress to
emotional or sexual infidelity.
 2. To assess sex differences in responses to emotional or
sexual infidelity.
 3. To assess sex differences in mate retention behaviours.
 4. To assess sex differences in upset about characteristics of
a love-rival.
 While you are waiting to input your data try the jealousy
questionnaire at:
 http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/access_jealousy.html
 Also try typing in ‘sex differences in jealousy’ on the google search
engine (http://www.google.com) and see what you get.
Subjective Distress Over Infidelity.
 We would predict that males more than females would choose
indicators of sexual infidelity as most upsetting. The opposite
should be true for females. We found the following (46 m, 50 f):
How would this distress you?
How would this distress you?
100
80
60
male
40
female
20
% Reporting more
distress
% Reporting More
Distress
100
80
60
male
40
female
20
0
0
emotion
sex once
scenario
in love
sex often
scenario
Responses to Infidelity.
 We would predict that males more than females would be less
likely to forgive a sexual indiscretion and be more likely to end the
relationship following a sexual indiscretion. The opposite should
be true for females. We found the following (46 m 50 f):
Which action would lead to a breakup?
100
80
60
male
40
female
20
0
sex
emotion
scenario
% reporting more distress
% reporting more distress
Which would be more difficult to
forgive?
100
80
60
male
40
female
20
0
sex
emotion
scenario
Mate Retention Behaviours.
 To retain a mate we may expect males to use resource-based
strategies, and may respond with greater physical aggression.
 Females may use enhancement of physical appearance and sexual
provision, and may resort more to verbal aggression. We found
(23 m, 25 f):
How would you react to your partner?
How would you react to the other
person?
100
100
% reporting
80
60
male
40
female
% reporting
80
60
20
0
0
attack-ver
action
female
40
20
attack-phy
male
attack-phy
attack-ver
action
Mate Retention Behaviours continued
How would you keep your partner?
100
% reporting
80
60
male
female
40
20
0
spending
sex
action
Characteristics of a Rival.
 Males may be more distressed by status/prestige characteristics
in a potential rival.
 Females may be more distressed by physical characteristics in a
potential rival. We found (23 m, 25 f):
Their new partner is better looking or
has a better job
100
% reporting
80
60
male
female
40
20
0
looks
characteristic
job
Characteristics of a Rival continued.
Their new partner is taller or is
younger
100
100
80
80
60
male
female
40
% reporting
% reporting
Their new partner is better at sex or
has a nicer body
60
20
0
0
body
characteristic
female
40
20
sex
male
taller
younger
characteristic
References.
 Buss, D.M. (2000). The Dangerous Passion. New York. The Free
Press.
 Harris, C.R. (2000). Psychophysiological responses to imagined
infidelity: the specific innate modular view of jealousy
reconsidered. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78:
1082-1091.
 Pietrzak, R.H., Laird, J.D., Stevens, D.A., & Thompson, N.S. (2002).
Sex differences in human jealousy. A coordinated study of forcedchoice, continuous rating-scale, and physiological responses on
the same subjects. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 23: 83-94.
 Wiederman, M.W., & Allgeier, E.R. (1993). Gender differences in
sexual jealousy: adaptionist or social learning explanation?
Ethology and Sociobiology, 14: 115-140