Female aggression as a response to sexual jealousy

A sex role reversal

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11630446
AutoresCarolina de Weerth (0000-0002-0921-1811), Akko Kalma (Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, autor correspondente), Akko P Kalma
Ano1993
Volume19
Fascículo4
Páginas265-279
Data de publicação1993-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAggressive Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0096-140X • E-ISSN: 1098-2337
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/1098-2337(1993)19:4<265::aid-ab2480190403>3.0.co;2-p
OpenAlexW1988979345
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas23
Referências citadas38

Sexual jealousy can be interpreted as a strategy which serves to retain the partner and defend exclusive sexual relationships. Because of the asymmetry in paternity confidence, it should be a more important strategy for males than for females. Indeed, male sexual jealousy is apparently a cross-cultural phenomenon and is often the proximate cause of violence against the female partner. The objective of this study was to investigate through self-report whether male “victims” of partner infidelity are expected to react more aggressively than female “victims,” how subjects themselves say they would react to a partner's infidelity, and whether these expectations vary across the sexes. Contrary to our predictions, subjects expected females more than males to react aggressively and revengefully when confronted with infidelity. These expectations were mainly sustained by the female subjects. Females were also more likely than males to declare that they themselves would verbally and physically abuse the partner. In addition, female subjects anticipated that they would cry, feign indifference, and try to look attractive and cool. Males were more likely than females to report that they would get drunk. Our results on aggressive reactions represent a departure from traditional sex roles. It is argued that emancipatorial development, as well as the levelling influence of contraceptives on the sexes' parental certainty, have triggered this change in sex roles. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Aggression · Developmental psychology · Injury prevention · Jealousy · Medical emergency · Poison control · Suicide prevention · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Medicine · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology