Menstrual cycle effects on jealousy: A study in Curaçao

Abraham P Buunk,Odette Van Brummen-Girigori

doi:10.1556/2050.2016.0003

Abraham P Buunk, Odette Van Brummen-Girigori

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1556/2050.2016.0003

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Abstract

Most studies on changes in female behavior and preferences across the menstrual cycle have been conducted in samples comprised of largely white undergraduate students from Western populations. The present study examined cyclical shifts in reactive, preventive and anxious jealousy in a sample of 71 Afro-Caribbean women from Curacao, a country in the Caribbean. We expected that, because of the risk of conceiving, especially preventive jealousy would be relatively high when fertile to safeguard the male’s protection, provisioning and investment. The results showed that, when fertile, women experienced indeed particularly more preventive jealousy, and also somewhat more anxious jealousy, but not more reactive jealousy, than when non-fertile. In addition, preventive jealousy was higher the later the age of the first menarche. We discuss possible explanations for the functionality of preventive jealousy during the fertile phase of the cycle, and for the functionality of such jealousy among women with a slow lif...

Highlights

There is increasing evidence that women’s mating behavior and preferences are systematically influenced by the stage of the menstrual cycle
The age at first menarche was positively correlated with preventive jealousy, indicating that the later one’s first menarche, the more preventive jealousy one showed, r = .30, p
The two other types of jealousy were not associated with the age at first menarche, for reactive jealousy, r = –.10, p = .39, and for anxious jealousy, r = .17, p =

Summary

Introduction

There is increasing evidence that women’s mating behavior and preferences are systematically influenced by the stage of the menstrual cycle. Several studies have shown that when fertile, women show an increased sexual interest(e.g., Brown, Calibuso, & Roedl, 2011; for a review, see Gangestad, Thornhill, & Garver-Apgar, 2005), and a heightened attraction to males, especially to males with masculine and dominant characteristics (e.g., Haselton & Miller, 2006; Penton-Voak & Perrett, 2000; Puts, 2005; Feinberg et al, 2006; Havlíček, Roberts, & Flegr, 2005; for a recent meta analysis, see Gildersleeve, Haselton, & Fales, 2014) These latter findings are often interpreted as indicating that through mating with masculine and dominant men, women may obtain. Given the dependency of the woman and her child during that period, and the lessened mutual sexual attraction, it may be too late to safeguard ones partners investment

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