Jealousy induction as influence strategy in close relationships

The jealousy is induced by real or imaginary experience of engagement of one's partner in a romantic relationship with a third person, and manifests in a distress and fear of loosing one's partner (Clanton, Smith, 1997). Buss (1992) showed that jealousy can also be a tool to sustain a partner. The importance of this is very similar to using jealousy as a specific mechanism of social influence and even manipulate the partner intimate relationship (Fleischmann, Spitzberg, Andersen i Roesch, 2005). The present study tested whether using jealousy as a tactic of influence in close relationship is associated with experience of jealousy, attachment style, psychological masculinity and femininity, self-esteem contingent on the relationship, perceived own and partner's attraction, quality of alternatives, and the level of the components of love. Research was carried out among 141 people aged M = 28,5 years (SD = 11,93). Experience of jealousy correlated positively with readiness to use jealousy evoking tactics᾿. Intimacy, commitment, and evaluation of own and partner᾿s alternatives were predictors of readiness to induce jealousy in the partner. Anxiety was a significant predictor of experienced and induced jealousy. peerReviewed publishedVersion