Annotated Bibliography – Sex Differences in Jealousy Essay Example

relationships experience higher levels of emotional jealousy. The study also showed that factors like sex drive, attachment avoidance, and being a victim of past sexual infidelity can predict higher levels of sexual jealousy, particularly in men. However, it is important to note that the study did not investigate previous experiences related to emotional infidelity.

Christine Harris explores the psychophysiological responses to imagined infidelity in her article "Psychophysiological responses to imagined infidelity: The specific innate modular view of jealousy reconsidered." She examines how individuals react physiologically to jealousy as a specific innate module known as JSIM. According to the JSIM theory, men and women have unique inherent mechanisms for experiencing jealousy, which developed in response to different challenges from our ancestral past. Harris's research reveals that men exhibit stronger reactions when envisioning sexual infidelity compared to imagining emotional infidelity.

According to research, men have a higher ability to detect sexual infidelity compared to emotional or romantic infidelity. This could be because they are more responsive to sexual situations, which may indicate sexual arousal or interest rather than distress. Additionally, it has been observed that women who have engaged in a sexual relationship also show stronger reactions towards sexual infidelity instead of emotional infidelity, further supporting this notion. Overall, the physiological evidence backing the JSIM theory is generally considered unconvincing. (Kuhle, B.X., 2011)

The journal article "Do you love her? An in vivo test of sex differences in jealous interrogations" (vol. 51, pp. 1044-1047, doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.07.034) aimed to examine gender variations in jealousy regarding infidelity by studying actual instances of jealousy and how partners responded to cases where information about infidelity was withheld from disclosure.

According to Miller and Maner (2009), recent

findings validate previous research on gender differences in concerns about infidelity. Men have a greater concern for sexual infidelity, whereas women are more concerned with emotional infidelity. When confronted with infidelity, men primarily focus on the sexual aspect of the relationship, while women inquire about the emotional aspect. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether individuals with high levels of chronic jealousy would be more affected by infidelity compared to those with low levels. The results supported this hypothesis, indicating that people with high levels of chronic jealousy experience stronger distress responses when faced with either sexual or emotional infidelity than those with low levels.

Pietrzak et al. (2002) found that the difference in jealousy between men and women is affected by how credible they perceive the threat to be. Previous research on infidelity-induced jealousy focused mainly on cues expressed through participants' written or spoken communication.

This study investigated participants' physiological reactions to scenarios of sexual and emotional betrayal, as well as their responses. The findings from the questionnaire and participants' physiological reactions affirmed previous research indicating that men typically experience greater jealousy in response to sexual infidelity, whereas women are more impacted by emotional infidelity. Both genders reported experiencing anger when confronted with infidelity.

Sabini and Silver (2005) conducted a study that revealed distinct emotional reactions to infidelity based on gender. Men generally experience anger and betrayal, especially when faced with sexual unfaithfulness. On the other hand, women often feel anxiety and fear in response to emotional unfaithfulness. The research aimed to investigate the evolutionary implications of infidelity by observing reactions in various reproductive and non-reproductive scenarios.

In addition to this, the researchers aimed to tackle

the idea that if a man thinks his partner is sexually active with someone, he automatically assumes she also has emotional involvement with that person. To distinguish between the emotional aspect and the sexual aspect, they instructed participants to imagine their partner going to a brothel. To their surprise, the findings provided minimal backing for the evolutionary model. The results of the imagined emotionless sexual encounter demonstrated that the use of birth control or lack thereof had no significant impact on either gender.

A study conducted by Sagarin et al. (2003) revealed that females experienced more distress than males when faced with the prospect of their partner visiting a brothel. This research, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, aimed to examine differences in jealousy between genders, considering infidelity experience and sexual orientation. While previous studies mainly concentrated on heterosexual relationships, there has been limited investigation into homosexual relationships.

The study reveals that men and women have distinct reactions when their partner may be involved with someone of the opposite sex. Yet, if their partners engage in same-sex relationships without reproductive potential, both genders experience relatively lower levels of jealousy and minimal gender differences. These findings support the evolutionary model.