This research aimed to explore the narratives of romantic jealousy in the context of infidelity for heterosexual and homosexual men from Johannesburg South Africa. This study takes on a qualitative approach using a narrative analysis in combination with a structural and thematic content analysis. The narratives of the heterosexual and homosexual men revealed the role which jealousy plays in every relationship, and how it can affect the emotions and behaviours of both partners. This study found that the narratives of these men were in contradiction to what evolutionary theories as well as past research on the topic have suggested. Evolutionary perspectives propose that heterosexual men are more inclided to sexual infidelity, this was however found to be in contradiction to the beliefs and ideas held by the participants of this study. Heterosexual participants of this study reported that for them emotional infidelity would be more jealousy provoking, as it would be a sure indication that the relationship would end. Past research findings on the other hand have suggested that homosexual males are more inclined to emotional infidelity, as they do not face the risk of cuckholdry. However the same can not be said for the narratives of the homosexual participants of this study. The narrative of all except for one homosexual participant indicated that homosexual men felt that they would be greatly affected by sexual infidelity rather than emotional infidelity. There explanations revolved around the open ended nature and ease of access to sex which is prevalent in the gay community. It is also important to note that simmilarly to the heterosexual group, most of the participnats who experienced sexual jealousy also experienced sexual infidelity. Indicating a link between the type of infidelity you experience to the type of jealousy you feel. This research identified that heterosexual participants felt that in their live stories they found emotional jealousy to be the worst apsect of infidelity while homosexual men felt that sexual jealousy was the worst aspect of infidelity.

Women who use hormonal contraceptives have been shown to report more intense affective responses to partner infidelity than women with a natural cycle. Also, previous research suggests that female jealousy is sensitive to hormonal changes when naturally cycling, with a peak around ovulation, while women using hormonal contraceptives are less sensitive. This research is aimed at exploring women`s perception of couple conflicts in line with predictions derived from evolutionary theory. A factor analysis yielded four dimensions within 19 couple conflicts that were related to jealousy, emotional support, time and effort, and commitment. We tested the hypotheses that women who use hormonal contraceptives will react more strongly to jealousy-provoking scenarios and overall conflicts compared to women with a natural menstrual cycle. We also tested the hypotheses that naturally cycling women would show an increase in their emotional response to jealousy-provoking scenarios at days with high fertility risk. We expected that their emotional response to the scenarios infidelity, lack of emotional support, time and effort and lack of commitment, would increase if they perceived their partners as attractive. By using an online questionnaire, we followed women who were currently in a relationship with age ranging from 18 to 30 years weekly for 12 weeks. Results show a significant difference between women using hormonal contraceptives and naturally cycling women. Women using hormonal contraceptives responded to be more upset by scenarios indicating infidelity, than did naturally cycling women (p < .05), but not on the overall conflicts. However, some unexpected differences on the single scenarios where discovered. For the analysis concerning the fertility-effect, no significant main effect was found. However, our hypotheses were not supported (p > .001), Our results did, however, reveal a non-significant trending in the predicted direction indicating that the partner`s attractiveness interact with fertility status and affect how women respond to situations regarding Jealousy and couple conflicts.

This quantitative study examined the relation between jealousy, self-esteem, gender and relationship status. Data was collected at Växjö University in the autumn of 2009, with two predesigned questionnaires. From the questionnaire Tennessee Self-Concept Scale created by Roid and Fitts (1988) that measures self-worth, the part Physical self was used to measure self-esteem. Jealousy was measured with the Questionnaire on the Affective Relationships designed by Marazziti et al., (2003). 188 male and female students participated of which 169 were used. A significant correlation was found between jealousy and self-esteem, where low self-esteem correlated with higher jealousy. The study rejected the existence of gender differences on jealousy. There was no evidence that individuals who date are more jealous than individuals in a relationship. The result did however showed a significant relation between jealousy and relationship status, where singles were more jealous than individuals in a relationship.

<p>This quantitative study examined the relation between jealousy, self-esteem, gender and relationship status. Data was collected at Växjö University in the autumn of 2009, with two predesigned questionnaires. From the questionnaire Tennessee Self-Concept Scale created by Roid and Fitts (1988) that measures self-worth, the part <em>Physical self</em> was used to measure self-esteem. Jealousy was measured with the Questionnaire on the Affective Relationships designed by Marazziti et al., (2003). 188 male and female students participated of which 169 were used. A significant correlation was found between jealousy and self-esteem, where low self-esteem correlated with higher jealousy. The study rejected the existence of gender differences on jealousy. There was no evidence that individuals who date are more jealous than individuals in a relationship. The result did however showed a significant relation between jealousy and relationship status, where singles were more jealous than individuals in a relationship.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-117). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-142). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (February 16, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-35)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, Aug. 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-162). Also available on the Internet.

Romantic relationships are considered to be the most important bonds established in adulthood (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). Accordingly, extensive empirical efforts have been expended on delineating factors linked with couple satisfaction. Given the intricacies of these relational bonds, a plethora of studies have likewise focused on exploring the elaborate and explicit processes of close relationships. What emerged was one of the most prolific theories of close relationships: attachment theory. Despite the recognized and confirmed role of attachment processes in couple satisfaction (Feeney, Noller, & Hanrahan, 1994), studies have seldom examined how the relation between explicit relationship factors and couple satisfaction may differ as a function of an individual's romantic attachment. The understanding of the link between variables is often enhanced by understanding what limits or improves this relation, for instance, for whom or under which circumstances (Hayes & Matthes, 2009). Such theoretical accounts of an effect are frequently tested and strengthened by the examination of a moderator effect (a variable that impacts the strength or direction of a predictor and outcome variable; Baron & Kenny, 1986). Accordingly, the overarching aim of the thesis was to explore original moderation models examining whether the established relation between jealousy (article 1) or intimacy (article 2) and couple satisfaction, respectively, differs for individuals with distinct romantic attachment patterns (i.e., attachment anxiety versus avoidance). In this way, the goal was to not only implement novel explorations extending current knowledge of the aforementioned link between jealousy or intimacy and couple satisfaction, but moreover, highlight for whom such relations may differ. Explicitly, the main objective of the first article was to implement a unique model exploring the moderating role of romantic attachment on the relation between emotional, iv cognitive, and behavioural jealousy and couple satisfaction. The study comprised of a large university sample of individuals (N = 502) involved in a heterosexual relationship of at least 12 months duration. Given the view of emotional, cognitive, and behavioural jealousy as an interrelated process (Pheiffer & Wong, 1989), and the corresponding absence of a model examining all facets concurrently, a comprehensive model simultaneously incorporating all of the above mentioned facets of jealousy within one model was implemented. Additionally, provided the unexamined stipulation of jealousy as impacting the relationship satisfaction of both partners of a couple (De Silva & Marks, 1994), this study sought to incorporate a new line of research investigating both one's jealousy and one's perception of their partner's jealousy (emotional, cognitive, and behavioural) and the potentially differential relation with one's couple satisfaction. The exploration of hierarchical models revealed that cognitive jealousy was negatively associated with one's couple satisfaction, whereas emotional jealousy demonstrated a positive association; behavioural jealousy was not shown to add incremental value in one's couple satisfaction. All aforementioned results were applicable to both one's own and one's perception of their partner's jealousy for each respective facet. Results also revealed that romantic attachment influenced the strength of the relation between several facets of jealousy and couple satisfaction, with attachment anxiety mostly increasing and attachment avoidance either decreasing or not influencing this relation. As such, findings suggested that jealousy experiences (one's own or one's perception of their partner's) may have a more detrimental relation with one's couple satisfaction amongst individuals exhibiting higher attachment anxiety. The aim of the second study was to explore an original model examining the moderating role of romantic attachment on the relation between intimacy and couple satisfaction using a community sample of couples (N = 117) involved in a heterosexual relationship of at least 12 v months duration. Given that intimacy is viewed as a multifaceted process (Schaefer & Olson, 1981), the current study concurrently investigated both emotional and sexual facets of intimacy within one model. Additionally, given the view of intimacy as a dyadic process that must accommodate both partners (Reis & Shaver, 1981), an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM: Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) using Linear Mixed Models (LML) was implemented in order to examine the relation between a participant's and their partner's emotional and sexual intimacy and one's couple satisfaction. Findings revealed that only actor and partner emotional intimacy were significantly and positively linked with actor couple satisfaction when examined concurrently with sexual intimacy; a larger amount of variance was revealed for actor versus partner effects. Results similarly showed that higher actor avoidant attachment moderated the former relation, such that a lessened positive association was demonstrated between actor emotional intimacy and actor couple satisfaction. Hence, findings suggested that the attainment of higher levels of emotional intimacy may be less pertinent for the satisfactory romantic relationship of individuals exhibiting higher attachment avoidance. No additional moderation effects of romantic attachment were found. The applied and clinical implications of both studies are discussed, such as the relevance of considering romantic attachment in ascertaining the link between particular relationship factors and couple satisfaction.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-117). Also available on the Internet.