Celos Y Apego

Waking the Green-Eyed Monster:
Attachment Styles and Jealousy
Induction in Romantic Relationships
D IANE W HITSON

Saint Louis University
BRENT A . MATTINGLY*

Ashland University

Although the majority of individuals involved in romantic relationships report
having experienced jealousy, relatively little research has examined what factors
lead individuals to attempt to induce jealousyin their romantic partners. We
examined how adult attachment is related to individuals' jealousy-induction
tendencies. Results indicated that (a) jealousy-induction was positively related to
both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, (b) specific attachment styles
(i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissing, fearful) were not associated with more or
fewer jealousy-inducing behaviors, and(c) women tend to induce jealousy more
than men. Because jealousy is negatively associated with relationship satisfaction,
thesefindingssurest that insecurely attached individuals ' behaviors may actually
be counterproductive in that they are unintentionally making their partners less
happy with the relationship.

M

any people can think of a friend or previous have paternal uncertainty(i.e., they are never guaranromantic partner who has purposely induced teed that a woman's child is truly their offspring), there
jealousy in a partner. Because jealousy can is a risk that they might invest valuable resources in
have negative outcomes on romantic relationships, it raising another man's child. As such, they experience
would he fruitful to understand why individuals would jealousywhen their partner engages in sexual infidelity.
desire to deliberately make partners jealous. However, However, women are certain of their maternal status.
previous research on jealousy has focused on individuals What is more important, then, is that they obtain and
who experience or express jealousy, linking it to hoth maintain the valued resources of the man so that their
commitment andattachment style. Therefore, little child has the greatest chance of surviving. If their partis known about the factors associated with individuals ner were to fall in love with another woman, they would
who intentionally induce jealousy in their partners. In risk losing the partner's resources. As such, women
this study, we sought to identify some of the personal experience jealousy when theirpartner becomes emotionally involved with another woman (Buss, Larsen,
variables associated with such individuals.
Westen, & Semmelroth, 1992).
According to White (1981), romantic jealousy is:
Previous research linked the experience and
a complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions
expression of jealousy to a variety of relational qualities.
which follow threats to ... the existence or
Forexample, jealous individuals tend to be more comquality ofthe relationship, when those threats
mitted to their relationships (e.g., Rydell, McConnell, &
are generated by the perception of a real or
Bringle, 2004), perceive themselves as possessing poor
potential attraction between one's partner and
alternatives to the current relationship (Hansen, 1985),
a (perhaps imaginary) rival, (p. 24)
andare less satisfied with their relationships (e.g.,
In order for jealousy to occur, individuals must Guerrero & Eloy, 1992). Additionally, research suggests
desire to protect their relationships with partners who that jealousy correlates with individual characteristics,
they perceive as possessing (Fleischmann, Spitzberg, specifically adult attachment styles (Guerrero, 1998).
Anderson, &Roesch, 2005). Guerrero (1998) further
described jealousy as the two interrelated processes of Adult Attachment Styles
experience (i.e., cognitive assessments and emotional Individuals form emotional attachment bonds with
reactions) and expression (i.e:, actions and inter- others that influence relational behaviors throughout
personal communication). Evolutionary psychology the course of their...