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Young women (N = 64) and men (N = 52) were asked to imagine discovering that their romantic partner had been sexually unfaithful. Fewer men than women gave positive endorsements to sets of aggressive actions against the unfaithful partner and against the rival. Gender differences did not appear in the motive for taking action against the rival, but more men than women endorsed releasing frustration as the motive for aggressive action against the partner. The genders appeared equally interested in maintaining the relationship with the unfaithful partner, preventing future infidelity, and attracting another partner. More men than women said they were uncertain about their partner's sexual fidelity. The results were interpreted as evidence that women are devalued more than men by and act of sexual infidelity, resulting in men's greater frustration with the partner's transgression but relative behavioral indifference to both the transgressing partner and rival. Men's greater uncertainty about a partner's infidelity may provide the basis for, as suggested by other data, men's greater tendency to ensure that a partner's infidelity and consequent devaluation never occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies compared Judgments about aggressive components or jealous reactions to the partner and to the rival, specifically, emotional (anger), cognitive (blame), and behavioral components. The first study randomly assigned 172 young women and men to two questionnaires on jealous reactions to mild (flirting) and serious (cheating) transgressions. One questionnaire assessed standards for appropriate behavior and perceptions of how people usually read. The second questionnaire asked people to report how they had reacted or, it not experienced with a sexual transgression, how they would react. The second study asked 113 people to Imagine a situation in which they knew their partner had been sexually unfaithful. There are three major findings that were interpreted in the context of courtship, a time when attention is focused on the qualities of one's potential long-term partner. First, the jealous individual's anger and blame were focused more on the partner than the rival. Second. mean anger and blame scores given the partner were well matched. In contrast, the rival received more anger and blame than deemed appropriate and considerably more anger than blame. These data suggest that, in the context of court- ship, a rival is not simply a competitor. Third, men were more inclined to think about aggressive action against the rival but women were more emotionally and behaviorally reactive to the rival. The latter result implies that, in the context of competition for an established romantic partner, a rival is more salient for women than for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]