Jealousy Incarnate: Quiet Ego, Competitive Desire, and the Fictional Intelligence of Long-Term Mating in a Romantic K-Drama

Lorenza Lucchi Basili,Pier Luigi Sacco

doi:10.3390/bs10090134

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze a K-drama aired by the Korean TV network SBS in 2016, Jealousy Incarnate, as a case study of the application of the Tie-Up Theory to a romantic narrative as a form of simulation of human mating processes with social cognition valence. We find that this case provides us with an example of a mating process where the choice of the male partner by the female lead character does not privilege the one that should be preferable on the basis of the standard prediction of the experimental research on human mating. This discrepancy is a signal of a basic limitation of experimental research, that highlights the subjects’ preferences for abstract potential partners but is not able to fully account for the mechanisms that lead to the choice of a specific partner in a specific mating interaction. We argue that the narrative simulation viewpoint provides insights that are complementary to those of experimental research, and that a more comprehensive theoretical approach, such as the one offered by the Tie-Up Theory, may be helpful to account for both perspectives.

Highlights

How are long-term human couples formed, and why? This question, of fundamental importance to understand a central aspect of human existence, is at the root of a remarkable research effort, due to the flourishing of experimental studies on human attitudes and behavior
We find that this case provides us with an example of a mating process where the choice of the male partner by the female lead character does not privilege the one that should be preferable on the basis of the standard prediction of the experimental research on human mating
We argue that the narrative simulation viewpoint provides insights that are complementary to those of experimental research, and that a more comprehensive theoretical approach, such as the one offered by the Tie-Up Theory, may be helpful to account for both perspectives

Summary

Introduction

How are long-term human couples formed, and why? This question, of fundamental importance to understand a central aspect of human existence, is at the root of a remarkable research effort, due to the flourishing of experimental studies on human attitudes and behavior. A significant sexual dimorphism has been found as to the most desirable characteristics of a long-term partner in the heterosexual couple [2], with men emphasizing physical attractiveness and women especially caring for resourcefulness (wealth, social status, etcetera) [3,4] Despite their robustness and intuitive appeal, these results reflect key aspects of experimental practice: Elicitation of preferences [5], search for hormonal signatures [6] in the abstract evaluation of partner characteristics [7], or in the reactions shown by experimental subjects toward models (generally, suitably chosen pictures or videos of human beings), be them real [8] or manipulated [9], being presented either in a laboratory treatment or in situations of ‘artificial’ human interaction such.

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