Chapman University have recently undertaken the largest study to date on the matter of infidelity and the results have concluded that men and women are very different when it comes to feelings of jealousy and their responses to sexual vs emotional infidelity.
The poll reviewed just under 64,000 Americans and found that heterosexual men were more likely than heterosexual women to be most upset by sexual infidelity (54 percent of men vs. 35 percent of women) and less likely than heterosexual women to be most upset by emotional infidelity (46 percent of men vs. 65 percent of women). The study also determined that both bisexual and homosexual men and women did not significantly differ in their responses to infidelity.
The university states “Participants imagined what would upset them more: their partners having sex with someone else (but not falling in love with them) or their partners falling in love with someone else (but not having sex with them).”
David Frederick, Ph.D, the lead author of the study outlined that “heterosexual men really stand out from all other groups: they were the only ones who were much more likely to be most upset by sexual infidelity rather than emotional infidelity” which was “consistent with the evolutionary perspective”.
The issue of sexual and emotional infidelity can cause harm to both men and women. Dr. Frederick states “The responses of men and women to the threat of infidelity range from intense pangs of jealousy to elaborate displays of attention to woo their partner back. Jealousy can also trigger harmful and violent behavior…”
Chapman University outline that from an evolutionary perspective, men face the problem of paternal uncertainty as, in the absence of paternity testing, they will never know if their child is genetically related to them and there is always the chance that the child could have been fathered by another man. Women who bear children will never face maternal uncertainty and therefore men may exhibit a heightened response to sexual jealously compared to women.
However the university also stated that “whilst women do not face maternal uncertainty they risk the potential loss of resources and commitment from partners if they channel their investment to another mate.”
Consistent with evolutionary perspective, one’s reaction to sexual versus emotional infidelity is likely shaped by environmental and personal factors, however, this gender difference emerged across the age groups.
In England and Wales “adultery” is the act of sexual intercourse between a man and a women where at least one of the two are married. Adultery can be used as one of the five facts to prove the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage, which is required to obtain a Divorce in this Jursidiction.
The authors of the study were Dr. David Frederick of Chapman University and Melissa Fales, Ph.D. candidate of UCLA with the paper appearing in the journal, Archives of Sexual Behavior.
http://blogs.chapman.edu/press-room/2015/01/05/chapman-university-publishes-research-on-jealousy-impact-of-sexual-vs-emotional-infidelity/
If you are facing difficulties in relation to marriage and / or your spouse’s infidelity, please do not hesitate to contact Lydia Jackson at our Marlborough office on 01672 518620 or click here for email to set up a free initial consultation.
