Biological sex and psychological gender differences in the experience and expression of romantic jealousy
Open Access
- 7 April 2022
- journal article
- Published by Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID) in Social Psychological Bulletin
- Vol. 17, 1-23
- https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.4161
Abstract
Romantic jealousy is a multidimensional response to a perceived threat to one’s relationship or self-esteem and the specific emotions experienced in the process are complex and interrelated, affecting one another. Many researchers focus on jealousy-related sex differences, however there are few studies exploring gender-specific jealousy. The current study investigated whether individuals representing various types of biological sex and psychological gender differ in their experience and expression of romantic jealousy. The study involved 367 subjects (213 women, 154 men) ranging in age from 18 to 40 years. The assessments were carried out using the Psychological Gender Inventory based on gender schema theory, proposed by Bem, and the author’s own Questionnaire on the Emotion of Romantic Jealousy. The results of MANOVA showed associations between romantic jealousy and both biological sex and psychological gender, however efforts to save the relationship appear to be the only gender-differentiated response to jealousy. Those with a high level of feminine traits are more likely to take action to preserve their relationships. Overall negative emotions elicited by a partner’s infidelity are stronger in women and in feminine individuals. The results confirm it is necessary to take psychological gender into account in research focusing on jealousy. The findings, however, do not support claims suggesting that men and masculine individuals tend to respond with stronger aggression to a partner’s infidelity, as proposed in the literature.Keywords
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Communicative Responses to Jealousy Scale: Revision, Empirical Validation, and Associations with Relational SatisfactionCommunication Methods and Measures, 2011
- Sex Differences in Jealousy: A Study from NorwayNordic Psychology, 2011
- Jealousy and Romantic LovePublished by Wiley ,2010
- DIFFERENTIATING REACTIVE AND SUSPICIOUS JEALOUSYSocial Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 2007
- Psychological Gender Mediates Sex Differences in JealousyJournal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology, 2004
- Sex differences in jealousy: Evolutionary mechanism or artifact of measurement?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002
- Multidimensional JealousyJournal of Social and Personal Relationships, 1989
- Reactions to Hypothetical, Jealously Producing EventsFamily Relations, 1982
- Gender schema theory: A cognitive account of sex typing.Psychological Review, 1981
- Sex typing and androgyny: Further explorations of the expressive domain.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1976