Sex differences in jealousy: Information search and cognitive preoccupation

Two experiments test the prediction derived from the evolutionary view of jealousy that men are particularly concerned with a mate’s sexual infidelity and women with a mate’s emotional infidelity. Experiment 1 examines sex differences with respect to the information men and women actively request from their partner when suspecting her or his infidelity. Experiment 2 tests the hypothesis that within a heterosexual romantic relationship men are more occupied with thoughts about a mate’s sexual infidelity, whereas women are more occupied with thoughts about a mate’s emotional infidelity. The results of both experiments support the evolutionary view of sex-specific jealousy mechanisms. The implications of the present findings are discussed.