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Sex differences in attitudes toward partner infidelity.
Michael J Tagler1, Heather M Jeffers
1Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA. mjtagler@bsu.edu
Summary
Men, more than women, view sexual infidelity as worse than emotional infidelity, supporting evolutionary psychology theories on sex differences in relationship attitudes. This study measured attitudes toward partner infidelity.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Human Sexuality
Background:
- Sex differences in reactions to partner infidelity are debated, with evolutionary and social-cognitive theories offering conflicting explanations.
- Previous research often compared emotional reactions to sexual versus emotional infidelity, yielding contentious results.
- Diverging perspectives on whether men and women differ in infidelity responses remain unresolved.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in attitudes toward partner infidelity by measuring negative evaluations of sexual versus emotional infidelity.
- To provide new data to resolve the debate between evolutionary and social-cognitive theories regarding infidelity responses.
Main Methods:
- The study measured participants' attitudes toward partner infidelity, specifically comparing evaluations of sexual infidelity against emotional infidelity.
- This approach shifted focus from emotional reactions to direct attitudinal assessments.
Main Results:
- Results aligned with the evolutionary perspective, indicating significant sex differences in infidelity attitudes.
- Men, compared to women, evaluated partner sexual infidelity more negatively than emotional infidelity.
- This finding supports the notion of sexually dimorphic selection pressures influencing infidelity perceptions.
Conclusions:
- The study's findings support the evolutionary psychological explanation for sex differences in infidelity attitudes.
- Men's greater negative evaluation of sexual infidelity compared to emotional infidelity is consistent with evolutionary theory.
- Attitudinal measures offer a valuable approach to understanding sex differences in responses to partner infidelity.
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