Romantic jealousy and infidelity from an evolutionary perspective: definition, typology and individual factors
Abstract
Romantic jealousy arises in response to a compromised relationship and in response to a real or potential threat posed by a third party. In evolutionary psycholog y, romantic jealousy and infidelity are most often divided into sexual and emotional type.
Romantic jealousy is defined as a strateg y to help an individual retain his partner, prevent his infidelity, and ensure the certainty of fatherhood. Previous studies have conceptualized three main theories that explain sex differences in perception of sexual / emotional jealousy; type of jealousy depends on 1. biological sex of the individual, 2. biological sex of the partner 3. biological sex of the rival.
Similarly, the definitions of infidelity are not coherent. Infidelity is often defined as sexual intercourse, extradyadic sexual activity, or emotional betrayal.
The inconsistent definition of partner infidelity in different prevalence studies leads to varying and inconsistent results. Individual and relationship factors can also significantly influence the results in studies regarding romantic jealousy and partnership infidelity.