Evolutionary Psychology Co-Editors: Steven M. Platek, Benedict C. Jones, and Todd K. Shackelford

Which infidelity type makes you more jealous? Decision strategies in a forced-choice between sexual and emotional infidelity

Abstract

This study tested the prediction derived from the evolutionary psychological analysis of jealousy that men and women selecting the adaptively primary infidelity type (i.e., female sexual and male emotional infidelity, respectively) in a forced-choice response format need to engage in less elaborate decision strategies than men and women selecting the adaptively secondary infidelity type (i.e., male sexual and female emotional infidelity, respectively). Unknown to the participants, decision times were registered as an index of the elaborateness of their decision strategies. The results clearly support the prediction. Implications and limitations of the present findings are discussed.  

Keywords

jealousy, sexual infidelity, emotional infidelity, sex-specific differences, decision strategies, forced-choice response format  

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