Romantic Jealousy and Adult Romantic Attachment
Abstract
Research on romantic jealousy is consistent with the idea that jealousy is, at least in part, the product of threats to attachment relationships. Attachment theory was used as a framework for examining individual differences in the ways in which people experience and express jealousy. Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive concomitants of romantic jealousy were related to differences in attachment style in ways consistent with attachment theory. For example, anxious participants were relatively more likely than others to resist expressing their anger, avoidant participants were especially likely to turn their anger and blame against the interloper, and securely attached participants were especially likely to express anger toward the partner and to maintain their relationship. Differences in attachment style, not just differences in level of security, are predictive of qualitative individual differences in jealousy experiences.
Recommended Citation
Sharpsteen, D., & Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1997). Romantic Jealousy and Adult Romantic Attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(3), pp. 627-640. American Psychological Association (APA).
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.3.627
Department(s)
Psychological Science
Keywords and Phrases
Affect; Comparative Study; Female; Human; Human Relation; Jealousy; Male; Object Relation; Sex Difference; Affect; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Object Attachment; Sex Factors
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0022-3514
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 1997 American Psychological Association (APA), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 1997
