A study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science found that romantic jealousy in intimate relationships is linked to mate value discrepancies, attitudes toward cheating, and opposite-sex interactions, with significant gender differences and implications for partner behavior and freedom.
Romantic jealousy, an emotionally charged response to perceived threats to a relationship, has been scrutinized for its dual role: on one hand, it is associated with numerous negative outcomes, such as relationship dissolution, domestic violence, and mental health issues; on the other, it is argued to serve a protective function against the risk of infidelity.
At the heart of this investigation is the role of romantic jealousy as an evolved mechanism aimed at safeguarding against the fitness costs posed by a partner’s potential infidelity. Jealousy may act as a deterrent, motivating individuals to take corrective actions to avert or mitigate the consequences of a partner’s extramarital activities. This includes increased vigilance over the partner’s actions and preemptive measures to limit their opportunities for engaging with potential rivals.
The study was conducted at a private university in the Republic of Cyprus. A total of 333 Greek-speaking adults participated in this research. The participants, predominantly in heterosexual relationships, varied in relationship status with 54.4% in a relationship and 45.6% married. Their ages averaged 33.9 for women and 37.5 for men.
Participants completed a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms, consisting of nine parts, including measures of relationship status, partner and self mate value, partner jealousy, attitudes towards cheating, interactions with the opposite sex, freedom to flirt, fear of partner’s reaction to infidelity, and demographic information (e.g,. sex, age, and sexual orientation).
Apostolou and Tzannetatou found that discrepancies in mate value influenced the level of jealousy reported by partners, such that participants who perceived their mate value as higher than their partner’s reported significantly higher levels of jealousy from their partners compared to those who viewed mate values as similar or lower, with no significant difference noted between the latter two groups.
More positive attitudes towards infidelity led to higher reported jealousy. An interaction between participant gender and opposite-sex interactions suggested gender-specific effects. For women, increased interactions with the opposite sex were significantly associated with higher levels of reported partner jealousy, a relationship not observed for men.
Further, partner jealousy was significantly linked to reduced freedom to flirt, with both direct and indirect effects mediated by fear of the partner’s reactions. This mediation analysis highlighted that an increase in partner’s jealousy led to a corresponding increase in limitations on flirting freedoms, primarily through a direct effect but also indirectly via heightened fear of partner’s reactions.
The study is not without its limitations, particularly the reliance on self-report instruments, which may introduce biases such as inaccuracies in participants’ responses. These instruments measure perceptions rather than objective realities, such as perceived partner jealousy, which might not fully capture the actual levels of jealousy.
Overall, these findings align with evolutionary theories suggesting that jealousy serves as a mechanism to prevent infidelity, potentially leading to renegotiations within the relationship that could enhance relationship fidelity and satisfaction.
The study, “The Infidelity Protection Nature of Romantic Jealousy: Testing Five Predictions in the Greek Cultural Context”, was authored by Menelaos Apostolou and Georgia Tzannetatou.