All 5 Terms & Definitions
- Jealousy
- A three-party emotion involving the self, a valued relationship partner, and a rival who threatens to usurp that relationship. Distinct from envy (which involves wanting what another has). Jealousy centres on fear of loss of an existing valued relationship or possession.
- Romantic jealousy
- Jealousy specifically in the context of a romantic or sexual partnership. Involves fear that a rival will attract the partner's romantic, sexual, or emotional attention. Considered cross-culturally universal but its triggers and expressions vary by culture and individual attachment style.
- Sexual vs. emotional jealousy
- A distinction in the evolutionary literature between distress provoked by a partner's sexual infidelity and distress provoked by a partner's emotional intimacy with a rival. Buss et al. (1992) proposed a sex difference: men more distressed by sexual infidelity, women more distressed by emotional infidelity. The finding remains controversial.
- Mate retention
- Behaviours aimed at keeping a romantic partner from leaving or being taken by rivals. From an evolutionary perspective, jealousy motivates mate retention tactics — vigilance, monopolisation of the partner's time, derogation of rivals. These can range from prosocial (investing in the relationship) to coercive and controlling.
- Attachment and jealousy
- Attachment style predicts jealousy intensity. Anxiously attached individuals experience jealousy more intensely and more frequently, interpreting ambiguous cues as threats to the relationship. Avoidantly attached individuals may suppress jealousy or deny threats. Secure attachment is associated with lower jealousy and more constructive responses.