044 Sexual and Emotional Affairs: Does Friendship Matter?

Abstract

There are asymmetries in the amount of time it takes for an individual to reproduce (Trivers, 1972). For example, because of internal gestation, the minimum amount of time it takes for females to reproduce is vastly greater than it is for males. This internal gestation in females can also compromise the certainty of a male’s paternity in offspring. Due to these asymmetries, reproductive strategies differ somewhat for males and females. These differences manifest in a variety of ways, but specifically influence how jealousy is experienced towards a partner’s potential infidelities. Previous research has shown that women experience greater jealousy at the thought of a romantic partner having an emotional affair than do men, while men experience greater jealousy at the thought of a romantic partner having a sexual affair (Buss, Larsen, Westen, & Semmelroth, 1992). However, no research to date has investigated how infidelities between a partner and a close same-sex friend relate to levels of upset in men and women. Because affairs often occur with close friends of a couple, it is important to understand how friendship might influence levels of jealousy experienced towards partner infidelities.