Health, Anticipated Partner Infidelity, and Jealousy in Men and Women

Abstract

Health has been identified as an important variable involved in mate choice. Unhealthy organisms are generally less able to provide reproductively important resources to partners and offspring and are more likely to pass on communicable disease. Research on human mate preferences has shown that both men and women prefer healthy mates. Yet to date, little research has examined how health relates to one's own mating experiences. In the present study, 164 participants (87 women) who were currently in heterosexual romantic relationships completed measures of frequency and severity of health problems, anticipated partner infidelity, and intensity of jealousy felt in their current relationship. Mediation analyses showed that health problems predicted greater anticipated partner infidelity and jealousy scores and that anticipated partner infidelity mediated the links between health and jealousy for both frequency and severity of health problems, controlling for both sex and relationship duration. These findings suggest that unhealthy people perceive themselves to be at a mating disadvantage, experiencing associated differences in perceptions and emotions surrounding their romantic partners' fidelity.

Illness, social disadvantage, and sexual risk behavior in adolescence and the transition to adulthood

“…Specifically, they found that individuals with more severe health problems reported more jealousy towards their partner and higher perceptions of potential infidelity on the part of their partner. These findings suggest that internal states of health and illness may have a multifaceted influence on mating behaviors, influencing personal sexual decisions (Griskevicius et al, 2011), as well as mate retention strategies (Arnocky, Pearson, & Vaillancourt, 2015).…”

“…Thus, it is posited that an internal predictor, such as chronic and/or severe physical illness, can signal increased mortality risk, which fosters biobehavioral adaptation toward fast life history strategies, including maximizing short-term mating at the expense of longer-term parental investment (Hill, Boehm, & Prokosch, 2016;Waynforth, 2012). Arnocky, Pearson, & Vaillancourt (2015) provide compelling support for this internal prediction model, showing that an individual's history of illness can influence jealousy and perceptions of fidelity, important psychological correlates of fast life history sexual strategies. Specifically, they found that individuals with more severe health problems reported more jealousy towards their partner and higher perceptions of potential infidelity on the part of their partner.…”

Suspicious minds: The psychological, physical and behavioral consequences of suspecting a partner’s infidelity

“…Although some couples who experience infidelity may improve their primary relationship (e.g., Charny & Parnass, 1995; Olson et al, 2002), relational transgressions, such as a partner’s suspected betrayal, can have lingering negative consequences for many (Pederson & McLaren, 2017). Indeed, relationship distress and jealousy are associated with greater depressive symptoms (Riso et al, 2002), health problems (Arnocky et al, 2015), and alcohol and drug use (Buunk & Dijkstra, 2000). The stress of a partner’s recent infidelity is also associated with greater mental health symptoms, including depression and anxiety, and health-compromising behaviors (Shrout & Weigel, 2018).…”

“…We use transactional stress theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, 1987) to investigate the degree to which people suspect a partner as being unfaithful and how that suspicion is related to appraisals of stress and reduced well-being. Evidence suggests that suspecting a partner of cheating is associated with harmful consequences for the individual, including frequency and severity of health problems (Arnocky et al, 2015), depression (Riso et al, 2002), and increased risky behavior such as alcohol and drug use (Buunk & Dijkstra, 2000). Such findings make studies on the mechanisms that link infidelity suspicion with negative outcomes all the more important.…”

Relationship of Forgiveness and Feeling of Loneliness with Attitudes toward Marital Infidelity Regarding the Moderating Role of Marital Satisfaction in Married Students

“…Marital infidelity is defined as the individual transition from a marital relationship by establishing a physical or emotional intimacy with a person outside the relationship. In other words, marital infidelity is a breach of contract in a relationship or any conduct that results in failures to perform any promises made by two persons [1]. Attitude toward marital infidelity can be indicative of the emotional and sexual infidelity of males or females to their spouses.…”