Buss et al (1992) Sex differences in jealousy ; evolution , psychology , and physiology

Aim

To see if males and females experience different forms of jealousy (sexual or emotional) in response to thoughts of infidelity

Procedure

Male and female (American students were asked to think of a current or former partner becoming involved with someone else person X) which would be more upsetting ? their partner forming a deep emotional attachment with X or having passionate sexual intercourse with x. Some participants imagined the two scenarios while the psychologist response were measuring their pulse rate

Findings

60% of men (17% of women) were more distressed by the sexual infidelity scenarios and 8% of women (40% of men) were more distressed by the emotional infidelity scenario than the sexual one. Men showed more physiological activity in the sexual infidelity scenario compared with the emotional one. Women showed the opposite but the differences were not as strong as they were for men.

Conclusion

The findings support an evolutionary explanation of jealousy. Male sexual jealousy defends against rising another man's child, which would not enhance their own reproductive success. Therefore, sensitivity to sexual infidelity is a trait that would be selected in men. Female emotional jealousy depends losing a Male partner to another woman and the loss of support raising a child. Emotionally, infidelity would reduce successful reproduction and thus would be selected in women.

Strengths

One strength is that Buss et al measures physiology activity as well as feelings of distress. The question that was posed required a subjective answer and assessed the psychological component of jealousy. The physiological measures however we are objective and showed that sex differences in jealousy had a biological basis. Therefore, the findings support the evolutionary theory are more convincing findings as they are based on two types of evidence not just one

Weakness

One weakness is that the participants were from the single culture. Evolutionary psychology claims that all humans show the same type of behaviour as they are exposed to the same selective pressures. However, the study investigated jealousy in American students only and their behaviour may have been influenced by their social norms. This means that the study does not fully support the evolutionary explanation of jealousy that could be applied to all cultures