Jealous reaction to infidelity: Differences between men and women and differences in rival's characteristics.

The present study was undertaken with the aim of understanding the differen ces between men and women in situations which give rise to jealousy. Inform ation obtained from a survey of 408 men and 415 women revealed that both ge nders experienced a higher intensity of emotional distress when confronted with the possibility of their partners participating in sexual infidelity t han when their partners had participated in emotional infidelity. However, the survey also uncovered that the degree to which both genders experienced their emotional reactions varied. The results also revealed that conflicti ng priorities formed the basis of the two sexes' reactions. Women perceived a threat to the future of the relationship in the face of infidelity, wher eas men experienced a sexual infidelity as a threat to their self-esteem. T he self-esteem of both sexes was found to be increasingly effected when the ir rivals failed to match their own preconceived and self-defined qualities .