Abstract
We examined the relationship between second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a correlate of prenatal testosterone exposure, and distress at sexual versus emotional infidelity in hypothetical scenarios of relationship threat. As predicted, a significant negative association was found between 2D:4D and greater distress at sexual infidelity for the whole sample (N = 179, females = 101). While this novel finding supports the view of romantic jealousy as a sexually-dimorphic adaptation, we explore reasons for the relatively weak association and discuss how underlying differences in brain structure could have influenced sex-specific behavioural capacities in romantic jealousy. We suggest a useful direction for future research will be to develop novel methods that facilitate the investigation of implicit emotional, rather than explicit cognitive, processes in response to pair-bond threat. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 107-111 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Personality and Individual Differences |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2011 |
Research Groups and Themes
- Cognitive Science
- Social Cognition
Keywords
- Prenatal testosterone
- 2D:4D ratio
- Romantic jealousy
- Evolutionary theory
- Sexual selection
- Sexual infidelity
- Emotional infidelity
- Between-sex differences
- CONGENITAL ADRENAL-HYPERPLASIA
- FINGER LENGTH RATIOS
- EMOTIONAL INFIDELITY
- PERSONALITY-TRAITS
- 2D4D
- TESTOSTERONE
- BEHAVIOR
- MEN
- RESPONSES
- WOMEN