Rational-emotive therapy was proposed as a therapeutic treatment approach to romantic jealousy. It was hypothesized that rational-emotive therapy would be significantly more effective than an attention placebo group in the reduction of romantic jealousy with undergraduate single female subjects. It was also hypothesized that reductions in romantic jealousy would be sustained to a significantly greater extent in the rational-emotive therapy group rather than the attention placebo group on a follow-up evaluation after a 2-month period. Advertisements soliciting single females who were romantically jealous and who felt that this was a problem in their love relationships yielded 18 female subjects from the North Texas State University campus. The pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up assessments consisted of two self-report questionnaires. The pre- and post-treatment also included a physiological measurement (heart rate) while the subject was imagining a jealousy scene. Both of the self-report questionnaires (Sexual Jealousy, Irrational Beliefs) were given to a significant other (such as a boyfriend or lover). Results support the hypothesis that rational-emotive therapy is more effective than an equally credible placebo in the reduction of female romantic jealousy.

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.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:16:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2396813 bytes, checksum: f62a2b1943831ea9a01e3d5e0ab67937 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This thesis aimed at investigating the social and affective correlates of romantic relationships. It has emphasis on virtual infidelity. This study was theoretically and methodologically carried out by using the theoretical contributions of tetrangular model of love and human values. It also counted on the studies about romantic jealousy and the addiction to the Internet. In order to achieve the aim of this thesis it was necessary to develop three studies: the first characterized as preliminary and instrumental was aimed at adapting/validating two instruments; the virtual infidelity scale and the Internet addiction scale for the Brazilian context. The participants were 246 college students from public and private educational institutions of João Pessoa, PB; with age range of 17-55 years old (mean = 24.3, SD = 7.15), most of them were female (62.1%). The results obtained by the Exploratory Factor Analysis of the virtual infidelity scale revealed two dimensional structures: sexual relationship (α = 0.96) and friendship relationship (α = 0.81). The results of the measurement addiction to the Internet indicated a one-dimensional structure (α = 0.89). The Study 2 was aimed at confirming the factor structure of the scales applied in the first study and verify the strength of correlations with the constructs love, jealousy and human values. A number of 210 university students were the participants who answered the same scales from Study 1, added to the measures: tetrangular love, romantic jealousy and the questionnaire of the basic values. These participants ages ranged from 17 to 50 years (M = 23.6, SD = 6.41) mostly were female (73.8%). The results obtained by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of virtual infidelity and addiction to the Internet for the Brazilian context suggested that the model with four and three dimensions, respectively which was originally proposed by the authors, was the one that best showed adequated validity and accuracy (GFI = 0.89, CFI = 0.97 and GFI = 0.83, CFI = 0.96). Concerning the predictive strength of the measures: addiction to Internet, jealousy, love and human values it was observed that the first variable contributed significantly to the explanation of the attitudes towards virtual infidelity (R = 0.25, p <0.001), the second variable romantic jealousy showed a marginal contribution (R = 0.30, p = 0.05), the third independent variable, love, did not have a significant contribution (R = 0.34, p> 0.05), and, lastly, the human values had a prominent contribution (R = 0.49, p <0.001).The third study aimed to developing a theoretical model to explain the constructs based on the human values, jealousy and addiction to the Internet was carried out to explain attitudes towards virtual infidelity. The participants were 204 Internet users, with age range of 17 to 66 years (M = 29.3, SD = 10.34), mostly female (59.8%). The results of the statistical analyzes indicated that the three constructs were fundamental for explaining the attitudes toward virtual infidelity. Concerning the human values (r = -0.15, p <0.05) the results brought out the sub functions experimentation, suprapersonal, existence, normative and realization, the romantic jealousy (r = -0.33, p <0.001) with dimensions not threatening,, exclusion and addiction to Internet (r = 0.13, p <0.05) with dimensions withdrawal and social problems, time management and performance and replaced reality were underlying components facing the attitudes toward virtual infidelity. Based on these findings it may be inferred that the results contributed satisfactorily with the explanatory model of behavior about the virtual infidelity. It is also expected that these results may be applied in future researches. / Esta tese teve como objetivo geral conhecer os correlatos afetivos e sociais dos relacionamentos amorosos com ênfase na infidelidade virtual. Para subsidiar teórica e metodologicamente, utilizaram-se dos aportes teóricos do amor tetrangular e valores humanos, adicionado aos estudos acerca do ciúme romântico e da adição à Internet. Para alcançar o objetivo, fez-se necessário desenvolver três estudos: o primeiro com caráter preliminar e instrumental visando adaptar/validar dois instrumentos, a escala de infidelidade virtual e a escala de adição à Internet para o contexto brasileiro. Participaram 246 estudantes universitários de Instituições Pública e Privada da cidade de João Pessoa (PB), com idade variando de 17 a 55 anos (m = 24,3; dp = 7,15), a maioria (62,1%) do sexo feminino. Os resultados advindos da Análise Fatorial Exploratória da escala de infidelidade virtual evidenciaram uma estrutura bidimensional: relação sexual (α = 0,96) e relação de amizade (α = 0,81). Os resultados da medida de adição à Internet indicaram uma estrutura unidimensional (α = 0,89). O Estudo 2 teve como objetivo confirmar a estrutura fatorial das escalas do primeiro estudo e verificar qual o poder de correlação com os construtos amor, ciúme e valores humanos. Fizeram parte 210 estudantes universitários que responderam as mesmas escalas do Estudo 1 acrescidas das medidas: amor tetrangular, ciúme romântico e o questionário dos valores básicos, as idades dos participantes variaram entre 17 a 50 anos (m = 23,6; dp = 6,41), a maioria do sexo feminino (73,8%). Os resultados advindos da Análise Fatorial Confirmatória (AFC) das medidas de infidelidade virtual e adição à Internet para o contexto brasileiro sugerem que o modelo originalmente proposto pelos autores, com quatro e três dimensões, respectivamente foi o que melhor apresentou parâmetros de validade e precisão adequados (GFI = 0,89, CFI = 0,97 e GFI = 0,83, CFI = 0,96). Quanto ao poder de predição das medidas adição à Internet, ciúme, amor e valores humanos observou-se que a primeira variável contribuiu significativamente para a explicação das atitudes frente à infidelidade virtual (R = 0,25, p < 0,001); a segunda variável o ciúme romântico apresentou uma contribuição marginal (R = 0,30, p = 0,05); a terceira variável independente, o amor, não teve uma contribuição significativa (R = 0,34, p > 0,05); e, por fim, os valores humanos tiveram uma contribuição de destaque (R = 0,49, p < 0,001). O estudo 3 teve como objetivo elaborar um modelo teórico explicativo a partir dos construtos valores humano, ciúme e adição à Internet para explicar as atitudes frente à infidelidade virtual. Participaram 204 usuários da Internet, com idade variando entre 17 a 66 anos (m = 29,3; dp = 10,34), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (59,8%). Os resultados advindos das análises estatísticas mostraram que os três construtos foram determinantes para explicar a atitude de infidelidade virtual. Na medida dos valores humanos (r = -0,15; p < 0,05) sobressaíram as subfunções experimentação, suprapessoal, existência, normativa e realização, o ciúme romântico (r = -0,33; p < 0,001) com as dimensões não-ameaça e exclusão e adição à Internet (r = 0,13; p < 0,05) com as dimensões retirada e problemas sociais, gestão do tempo e desempenho e realidade substituída foram subjacentes às atitudes frente a infidelidade virtual. Em síntese, pode-se inferir que os resultados contribuíram de maneira satisfatória com o modelo explicativo do comportamento acerca da infidelidade virtual. Espera-se também que estes resultados possam ser aplicados em pesquisas futuras.

To extend the research on self-monitoring and romantic relationships, we explored the connection between self-monitoring and romantic jealousy using a between-subjects design. We hypothesized high self-monitors (like men) would find sexual infidelity more distressing than emotional infidelity, whereas low self-monitors (like women) would find emotional infidelity more distressing than sexual infidelity. Participants completed the 25-item Self-Monitoring Scale (Snyder, 1974) and 6 hypothetical infidelity scenarios (Buss et al., 1999). To statistically control for third variables, participants also completed the 11-item Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (Gangestad & Simpson, 1991). Although we found a main effect for self-monitoring in romantic jealousy, these results did not support our hypotheses. That is, these reliable differences in self-monitoring reflected more or less distress by emotional infidelity. Limitations (e.g., third variables, directionality) and future directions (e.g., potential moderators/mediators for self-monitoring differences in romantic jealousy) of this research are discussed.