Reproductive Strategies and Jealousy in Men and Women

Brojna istraživanja pokazuju da su muškarci osjetljiviji na seksualnu nevjeru partnerice, dok su žene osjetljivije na emocionalnu nevjeru partnera. No manji broj istraživanja posvetio je pažnju ispitivanju razlika u ljubomori unutar svakoga spola. Kada je riječ o reproduktivnim strategijama, istraživanja su pokazala veću restriktivnost muškaraca u usporedbi sa ženama. Međutim, polazeći od evolucijskih postavki, može se pretpostaviti prisutnost kratkoročne i dugoročne strategije kod oba spola. Cilj je ovog istraživanja ispitati razlikuju li se restriktivni i nerestriktivni muškarci i žene u ljubomori na emocionalnu i seksualnu nevjeru. Ukupno 526 sudionika heteroseksualne orijentacije procjenjivalo je intenzitet ljubomore u hipotetskim situacijama seksualne i emocionalne nevjere te ispunilo Upitnik socioseksualne orijentacije (Kardum, Gračanin i Hudek-Knežević, 2006). Na osnovi rezultata u upitniku sudionici su podijeljeni u skupine restriktivnih i nerestriktivnih. Rezultati pokazuju veću ljubomoru muškaraca na seksualnu nevjeru i žena na emocionalnu nevjeru. U usporedbi s nerestriktivnim, restriktivni muškarci pokazali su veću ljubomoru na seksualnu nevjeru. Žene su osjetljivije na emocionalnu nevjeru, neovisno o reproduktivnoj strategiji. Prednosti i nedostatci obiju strategija te njihov efekt na ljubomoru interpretirani su u kontekstu evolucijskog razvoja mehanizama pronalaženja i zadržavanja partnera.Previous studies showed that men are more sensitive to sexual infidelity, while women are more sensitive to emotional infidelity. However, only a few of them investigated differences in jealousy within each sex. Moreover, studies of sex differences in reproductive strategies showed that women are more restrictive in comparison to men. According to evolutionary psychology, both long-term and short-term strategies could be found within each sex. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in sensitivity to sexual and emotional infidelity between restrictive and nonrestrictive men and women. 526 subjects took part in this study. They estimated the intensity of jealousy in hypothetical situations of sexual and emotional infidelity. Furthermore, sociosexual orientation was assessed using the Croatian adaptation of Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (Kardum, Gračanin, & Hudek-Knežević, 2006). Based on the results, subjects were divided into the groups of restrictive and nonrestrictive individuals. The results showed greater sensitivity to sexual infidelity in men and emotional infidelity in women. In comparison to nonrestrictive men, restrictive men showed greater sensitivity to sexual infidelity. Women are more sensitive to emotional infidelity, regardless of their reproductive strategy. Advantages and disadvantages of both strategies, as well as their effect on jealousy, could be interpreted within the context of evolutionary development of mechanisms for partner selection and mate guarding