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Jealousy behavioral economics
Introduction to an essay discussing the role played by jealousy
Behavioral jealousy
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Evolutionary psychologists found evidence more than three decades ago for sex differences in jealousy towards infidelity (Burchell, & Ward, 2011). An abundance of studies have been conducted to increase our understanding of these sex differences, and a multitude of theories have been created to explain them (Levy, Kelly, & Jack, 2006; Sagarin & Guadagno, 2004; Tagler & Gentry, 2011; Walum et al., 2013). Jealousy towards infidelity is a specific type of jealousy which is only apparent in species that reproduce through internal fertilisation (Buss, Larsen, Westen & Semmelroth, 1992). There are two types of jealousy, including sexual jealousy and emotional jealousy. Sexual jealousy has been defined as jealousy elicited by a threat of sexual infidelity, which refers to any form of physical unfaithfulness that does not involve feelings (Levy, Kelly, & Jack, 2006). Whereas emotional jealousy is elicited from the threat of emotional infidelity, that is any form of unfaithfulness that involves a romantic connection and doesn’t necessarily entail the physical act of cheating (Levy, Kelly, & Jack, 2006). It is widely believed that men and women respond differently to infidelity in the way they think and act (Buss, Larsen, Westen & Semmelroth, 1992; Takahashi et al., 2006; Walum et al., 2013). Past research has found that women tend to report more It states that due to female fertilisation, males are threatened by a reduction in reproductive success and females are threatened by resource withdrawal (Levy, Kelly, & Jack, 2006; Walum et al., 2013). Binary-choice measures use simultaneous presentation which can alter how well a person is able to approximate each scenario. However, when using a continuous measure the individuals assess one situation at a time and are therefore more likely to react accordingly when comparisons between the two are not necessary (DeSteno et al.,
For example, Tom, a married man, comes across a woman who is able to satisfy desires that his current spouse unable to provide for. He even shows his mistress off in front of his wife and family. What would possess someone to be so disrespectful and spiteful? It’s difficult to rationalize and make sense of such actions, but the decay of marriage and increasing divorce rates have been greatly increasing trends throughout the past century.
Doctor Dobson first looks at the reactions of a spouse when they find out that their marriage is beginning to slip away because their mate is involved in an affair. Across the board in all the cases he has studied or personally
did cheat. This article discusses how infidelity is popular in both men and women no
Carpenter, C. J. (2012). Meta-analyses of sex differences in responses to sexual versus emotional infidelity: Men and women are more similar than different.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 36(1), 25-37.
“Our Cheating Hearts” by Robert Wright was the most intriguing of the three articles, and it tried to enlighten the reader on the complex and sometimes confusing issue of human relationships. Wright is an evolutionary psychologist who feels that the brain like any other organ has changed throughout the evolution of time. Just as any other animal, a human’s main objective in life is to pass on our genes, and if we cannot do this with our significant other than many humans will deem cheating as a viable option. Wright does not encourage people to cheat but in the article it does seem that he regards cheating as almost the rational thing to do. As much as I do not want to agree with him I feel as though he makes a convincing argument. Wright looks at the issue in a scientific way and says cheating is a perfectly logical and justifiable behavior because the desire to pass on one's genes is the most basic component in nature and life. Therefore, what better way then to attempt reproduction as many times with as many mates as possible.
In short story “The Cheater’s Guide to Love,” written by Junot Diaz, we observe infidelity and the negative effects it has on relationships. Anyone who cheats will eventually get caught and will have to deal with the consequences. People tend to overlook the fact that most relationships are unlikely to survive after infidelity. Trust becomes an issue after someone has been unfaithful. Yunior, the main character in this story, encounters conflict as he struggles to move on with his life after his fiancée discovers that he has been unfaithful. Over a six-year period, the author reveals how his unfaithfulness has an effect on his health and his relationships.
Medusa lived in a city called Athens. Out of all the pretty girls in the city she was considered the most lovely. The people of Athens weren't the only ones who mentioned her beauty, but Medusa herself knew she was beautiful. Each day Medusa would boast about her looks and how beautiful she was. Everyday was different. One day she said “My hair glows brighter than the sun”. Every day she talked about a different feature and how it was better than something else. If Medusa wasn’t telling people about her looks she was staring at her own reflection in the mirror.
A man has been married to his wife for seven years. The couple has two beautiful children, a fabulous home, and appear to have the perfect marriage. After the husband leaves work one afternoon, he decides to stop in at the local bar. The man sits at a table in the corner of the room. Not long after his arrival, a woman approaches him. She asks the man if she can join him at his table. The two seem to have quite a bit in common and enjoy each other’s company. The woman asks if he would like to go back to her apartment. He has not had a fight with his wife today. In fact, she surprised him with a love note in his briefcase. Their sex life is enjoyable, frequent, and without complaint. The couple is not currently having financial problems. Despite this, why did the man decide to leave with a stranger and cheat on his wife? A great deal of research has been carried out on the topic of infidelity. Marital therapists have reported that more than half of the couples they counsel are in therapy as a result of infidelity (Atkins, Jacobson citation). Therapists also consider an extramarital affair as, “one of the most damaging relationship events and one of the most difficult problems to treat in couples therapy” (whisman predicting sexual infidelity…). Some therapists estimate that 50% to 65% of couples seek help after an incident of infidelity in their relationship (Atkins, Jacobson & Baucom). Identifying the reasons for this problem are essential to the success of its reduction. Infidelity is not a new phenomenon. However, there was little research on the topic until the late 1970’s (Drigotas & Barta, 2001). Numerous factors have been examined while trying to determine the root cause for extramarital relationships a...
jealousy as an excuse for beating their wives; violence became a way for husbands to
Infidelity is depicted as an extremely negative thing in the United States, and is often blamed for trust issues, psychologically damaging the spouse and their children, tearing apart marriages and families and more. People who commit adultery are often shamed and told how wrong what they did is and what a terrible person they are for doing it. According to the Journal of Martial and Family by the Associated Press, however, 41% of “marriages where one or both spouses admit to infidelity, either physical or emotional.” Clearly, while infidelity is generally viewed negative by society, many people either decide that it is not as negative as it is portrayed, or do not care and do it anyway. “The Lady with the Pet Dog” and “The Storm” both go against the typical view of adultery being a negative thing in a relationship by showing that it can actually have a beneficial outcome and leave some, if not all people happier.
The husband’s inability to trust his wife fuels his inability to communicate with his wife because he thinks that she will lie to him just like he suspects her of doing with other men. The husband’s jealousy fuels the mistrust between him and his wife to a point where he does not feel like he
...me again. The deserted or betrayed party will always look upon their spouse differently, thinking and fearing that they will be betrayed again, or left, with no warning. Hurt and pain will be a constant companion, and they will find themselves always questioning their partner’s motives and actions. Perhaps trust is damaged or even destroyed.
...e a parallel correlation from offline jealousy behaviors. Groothof, Dijkstra, and Barelds (2009) suggest that “as for offline acts of infidelity, men compared to women are more upset by a mates sexual infidelity over the Internet, whereas women, more than men, are more upset by a mate’s emotional infidelity over the Internet” (p.1126). Research also suggests that besides socio-cultural and evolutionary jealousy based on gender differentiation; further research should focus on individual’s cognitive social perspective pertaining to jealousy emotion. Harris (2002) suggest that “individuals clearly vary in their susceptibility to feelings of jealousy…the degree of jealousy will be determined by the appraisals people make regarding the seriousness of a threat” (p.11). With that said, further research on sexual jealousy triggers should be further investigated.
This article, “An Examination of Potential Attractions of Women’s Marital Infidelity,” was published in 2014 in The American Journal of Family Therapy. The purpose of the article is to examine the process of infidelity and the steps that women take in order to cheat on their spouses. The question regarding what defines infidelity is widely debated in today’s world, particularly with the growth and use of technology. Because marital infidelity is on the rise, this article serves to examine the reasons that it occurs in order to help solve the problem. Women were interviewed about the process of infidelity and reported that three factors largely influenced their behavior. These factors that contribute to cheating are the developing of an extramarital
In today’s society, infidelity is one of the leading causes of marital disruption and divorce. In accordance with societal norms many myths have been associated with infidelity. The following myths and their effects on marriage will be discussed: Everyone has affairs, the affair is the direct result of the faithful mate and, the marriage must end in divorce. In examining the various myths, this paper will challenge the greater issue, can marriage survive infidelity?