Sex Differences in Romantic Jealousy: Evaluating Past and Present Relationship Experience

Research on sex differences in jealousy has been controversial with contrasting results. Many have examined how factors such as relationship experience may play a role in men’s and women’s jealousy, yet most has investigated sexual and emotional jealousy. Past authors suggest that investigating jealousy as a multidimensional construct, i.e., cognitive, emotional, and behavioral forms, may provide better insight into an individual’s jealousy and relationships to other constructs. Thus, the present study sought to examine differences in men’s and women’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy dimensions and how past and present relationship experience may affect these dimensions. Of participants having at least one past romantic relationship, women reported higher overall levels of emotional and behavioral jealousy than men. When controlling for current relationship status, women’s levels of cognitive and behavioral jealousy were positively related to the number of past relationships. Further, of individuals currently in a romantic relationship, behavioral jealousy was positively related to length of relationship but only for men. Results are discussed in terms of how different types of relationship experience may relate to men’s and women’s types of jealousy.