title: Indignation or insecurity: the influence of mate value on distress in response to infidelity.
abstract: Two studies examined the influence of mate value on responses to infidelity from an evolutionary perspective. Couples were recruited for Study 1, allowing an examination of both participants' self-perceived mate value and their partners' mate value on reactions to hypothetical scenarios describing an incidence of infidelity. As predicted, higher levels of perceived mate value were associated with greater levels of indignation while lower levels of mate value were associated with increased levels of insecurity and anxiety in response to infidelity. In Study 2, participants who had been the victim of infidelity in the past recounted their experiences and reported how they actually responded. Consistent with Study 1, higher levels of mate value were associated with greater levels of indignation in response to infidelity whereas lower levels of mate value were associated with greater levels of insecurity. Taken together, these two studies provide compelling support for the hypothesis that the nature of the distress experienced in response to infidelity is influenced by an individual's perceived mate value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA, USA. phillips_april2@colstate.edu
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005114:Extramarital Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D061347:Forgiveness; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007578:Jealousy; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012928:Social Desirability; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult