Men, women, sexuality and jealousy
Evolutionary psychologists have developed a theory to explain the origins of differences between men and women. The two sexes developed different strategies to ensure their survival and reproductive success, and that this explains why men and women differ psychologically and tend to occupy different social roles.
Evolutionary psychologists explain sex differences as based on differing parental investment. Because women invest greatly in reproduction of offspring, they have developed traits that help improve the chances that each offspring will survive. Men are less concerned with reproduction and are less choosy about mates.
Jealousy is defined as an emotional state that is aroused by a perceived threat to a relationship or position. Jealousy is a reaction related to fear and rage, and it makes one want to protect, maintain, and prolong the association of love.
Evolutionary psychologists believe that the cues that trigger sexual jealousy are weighted differently in men and women. From the man’s perspective, a sexual infidelity will result in uncertainty in paternity of their children, which often leads to sexual jealousy.
For women, their mate’s sexual infidelity does not jeopardize a woman’s assurance in parenthood. The child remains hers no matter what. If her mate becomes interested in another woman, this will result in a loss of his time, attention, energy, resources, protection, and commitment to her children. This loss is essential to her child’s survival and is a cue for sexual jealousy. Women are more prone to react negatively when they or their children are deprived of emotional support; this will trigger jealousy. Men, on the other hand, will become angry if they suspect their wives of sexual infidelity.
The evolutionary view of jealousy is that men are particularly concerned with a mate’s sexual infidelity, and women are particularly concerned with a mate’s emotional infidelity.
References:
When it comes to jealousy, men and women may come from the same planet after all
Sex Differences in Jealousy: Ratings of Anger, Sadness, and Fearfulness
Men, Women, Jealousy and Monogamy
Discussion Questions
(1) Do you think the evolutionary psychologists have correctly ascribed the differences between men and women when it comes to triggering jealousy?
(2) If so, why and if not, why not?
(3) Are you a jealous lover? If so what do you need from your partner to prevent your jealousy button from being triggered?
(4) Are you in relationship with a jealous lover? If so what do you do for your partner to prevent his/her jealousy button from being triggered?
About timethief
6 Comments on “Men, women, sexuality and jealousy”
~~~ Welcome ~~~
this time - this space is a personal development and self improvement blog, focused on overcoming challenges through skillful means, and living the simple life to the fullest. Read more ...
Follow @thistimespace
Visitors
© 2007 – 2012 All Rights Reserved - Any content reblogged from this time - this space must adhere to the terms of © Copyright
This is a great topic TT, I will link this in my Facebook. Again, thank you for sharing this. All the best!
Hi edgecrosser,
Thanks for promoting this post. I think it’s a fascinating topic and hope my readers will think so too.
Fascinating subject indeed. In fact I have a post in the draft stage on something related to this, but not exactly this. I haven’t got my thoughts together on that one, I mean a conclusion of sorts.
About the jealousy thing, I wonder whether it applies to the modern age? I mean, in the west at least the roles of men and women have been changing for quite a few years now so at least some people would have developed different responses? Those ahead in the game I mean. Overall though I am sure the basic reasons for the jealousy are the same.
.-= Nita´s last blog ..The hand analysis of Hrithik Roshan =-.
I think that the roots of jealousy are found in what the evolutionary biologists state. I think we like to believe that things have changed and we buy into the “we’ve come a long way baby” slogan even though it’s not true. In the times we live we still witness women who put their parenting at the top of the list of their achievements. We see women, who behave like men in the corporate and political arenas achieve success there, and are also expected to be supermoms too. We also witness middle age men going through meno-porsche and acquiring young trophy females to boost their ego and virility. The world over we see the patriarchy struggling to maintain power and control over women and their children. In the so-called first nations we see the patriarchy still has the power to subjugate women by denying them equality with men, as even there women still do not have the rights that men do to make their own medical and reproductive decisions.
That’s an interesting topic. I’ve always thought that people are jealous because they’re afraid to lose the object of their love and this is because they think there’s smth wrong with them so that their partner can choose someone better.
The evolutionary view sounds true but it doesn’t cover many situations like why partners from childless couple may be jealous or why sometimes jealousy is show not only in husband-wife relations but mother-son-son’s wife and vice versa etc.
I can’t say much on this topic though for I’ve lived with my husband for 3 yrs, we’re childfree by choice but have never cheated on each other and generally are very open-minded to each other and discuss everything about our relations. I know that he’s mine and he knows that I’m his (this doesn’t mean we limit each other in any way) and that’s it.
@Aluajala
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post and for leaving such a personal and thoughtful comment. I appreciate it.