Jealousy, Assessment of

Jealousy is a response to a threat to one's relationship or self-esteem by a potential rival. Evolutionary theories propose that men are more distressed by a partner's sexual infidelities, whereas women are more distressed by a partner's emotional infidelities. Many controversies surround this purported sex difference in jealousy, such as the predominant use of forced-choice response formats. When continuous scales are used, these sex differences tend to disappear. Other theories have suggested that the experience of jealousy is based more on socially-learned expectations. Various jealousy measurement scales are briefly described, including forced-choice, continuous, and physiological. The influence of attachment styles on jealousy is also addressed, as well as a comparison between the concepts of jealousy and envy. Finally, a consideration of cross-cultural comparisons of jealousy concludes the entry.