Evolutionary: Jealousy

Evolutionary: Jealousy

1. Jealousy

   • Occurs through fear of losing affection or status, leads to feelings of bitterness, and motivates aggressive behaviour.
   • Male-Male rivalries
     • Compete over mates.
   • Female-Female rivalries
     • Compete over attractiveness, as this is a quality men value.
   • Sibling rivalries
     • Compete over parental resources to maximise adaptive fitness.
   • Daly and Wilson
     • Men evolved strategies to steer female partners away from adultery, feulled by male sexual jealousy.
     • Adaption evolved to deal with paternal uncertainty (men are at risk of cuckoldry, a reproductive cost inflicted on men due to partners infidelity, so they cannot be sure they are the father).
     • Daly and Wilson 2
       • Male-Male rivalries are evident among young males in all cultures. Thus, behaviour is universal as a result of evolution.
       • IDA-Gender Bias
         • Female are violent too. Felson-2,060 murders in US, females twice likely to murder out of jealousy.

2. Shackelford et al

   • Survey of 461 males, and 560 females in US. In commited relationships.
   • Male Pps answered questions concerning mate retention techniques, and were assessed on performance of 26 violence acts against partner,
   • Female Pps answered questions on partners use of mate retention techniques, and degree of violence against them.
   • Found-positive correlation between mens 2 types of retention techniques (negative inducements, and direct guarding), and violence scored. Female results supported this trend,
   • Not causal, so don't know cause and effect. Social desirability effect.

3. Edlund and Sagarin

   • We have a limited understanding of the link between sexual jealousy and aggression. 
   • It does not explain whether the degree of percieved infidelity is important, or if the percieved locus of responsibility moderates jealous response.