Skip to main content
Published Online:

Two infidelity scenarios and the Distress about Mating Rivals Questionnaire were administered to 506 undergraduate students, 202 men and 304 women. The results from the infidelity scenarios strongly suggest that men become more upset by sexual aspects of infidelity compared to women. Women were more upset than men by their partner’s emotional commitment to another woman. Data from the Distress about Mating Rivals Questionnaire showed that men relatively more than women will be more distressed by a rival that has higher status and prestige, better financial prospects and more physical strength compared to themselves. In contrast, women would be relatively more distressed than men by a rival that is more kind and understanding, has a more attractive face and a more attractive body than themselves. The results lend support to evolutionary based explanations for the observed sex differences.

References