Mapping the Conceptual Space of Jealousy

Abstract

Evolutionary approaches to the study of romantic jealousy have principally been guided by the idea that there are two types of threats to romantic relationships—sexual and emotional—and that these two affect men and women's fitness differently. While this approach has garnered considerable empirical support, it has not investigated the full conceptual domain of jealousy. To do so, we employ techniques developed by cognitive anthropologists and psychologists. Correspondence analysis of similarity judgments among jealousy-inducing exemplars reveals that threats to romantic relationships are spontaneously categorized along three plausibly adaptive dimensions: how severe they are, whether they suggest the presence of a specific rival, and whether they imply deception by the romantic partner. This pattern of results is consistent across men and women, younger and older adults, and those with differing infidelity experience. The full conceptual landscape of jealousy highlights considerations that have been previously overlooked by researchers relying exclusively on sexual selection theory.