An interpersonal relationship can be described as an emotional/romantic partnership between two individuals. Interpersonal relationships can bring out positive emotions and feelings of togetherness in people. However, people have a habit to forget how important two individuals are to each other in a romantic relationship and may stray from their commitment to each other.
Jealousy Inducing Within' Interpersonal Relationships
Effects of suspicious evoking behaviors may lead to the other partner in a relationship experiencing negative emotions due to the actions of their significant other. This is not only to satisfy one party of the relationship; it goes beyond a simple emotion. The research is broad and can be rebutted in many ways due to the fact, Jealousy traits appear in many forms which can be described as a maintenance strategy (Pytlak 2015), you can say it is a type of dominant strategy to obtain satisfaction, and commitment results within’ an interpersonal relationship. (Sheets et al., 1997) Partners may induce jealousy strategies on each other in a relationship the probable reason being when someone is involved in a loving relationship between each other it can be believed their partner is lacking commitment or are unsure of where the relationship's foundations lay. (Sheets et al., 1997) The position of the relationship may be in jeopardy due to these thoughts and feelings that can arise from superstitions, or actions of their significant other. Therefore, Jealousy has been strongly linked to distinguish a partner's commitment.
Jealousy can be used as a tool unwillingly, or knowingly to test the waters to get a reaction out of your partner when you use jealous evoking techniques such as dressing overly lovely for meeting friends or flirting with other people of the opposite sex while your partner is around. These tactics can be described as ‘mate retention' (Buss 1988). The strategy was to re-direct the third-party interest of the other person's romantic love, even if it is a stranger and bring the attention back on the individual in the relationship, trying to increase their partner's commitment. (Sheets et al., 1997) It was identified that five reasons for romantic jealousy were for receiving a reward, increasing self-esteem, to seeking revenge, and punishment. White (1980)
Jealousy evoking can be techniques of power internally in the relationship especially with the person that feels threatened; they will utilize this technique to restore balances of power, and show dominance on their side. Jealous evoking is broad and lacks research support. However, a lot of theories can relate to commitment when it becomes questionable to an individual in a relationship. However, it is stated through research that humans want to decrease uncertainty to continue the relationship and empower an individual in the relationship to feel re-assured about possible suspicions about their partner. (Pylak 2015) This leads to the person feeling threatened to set up a strategy of making their partner jealous, even without thinking if they are using jealous evoking techniques, this leads to the idea of Relational uncertainty, as couples tend to feel Jealousy more so than express it.
Uncertainty in a relationship leads to question relational maintenance thus raising questions about the relationship and even unconsciously motivates an individual to evoke jealousy. (Pylak 2015) The quality of the relationship becomes threatened thus leading to jealousy evocation, on the quality of the relationship within' an individual. (Mattingly et al., 2012) With everything being said, when an individual in the interpersonal relationship believes their partner lacks commitment, this maintenance strategy of jealous evoking may occur to place the attention on one's self to test the relationship's commitment. (Roloff " Cloven, 1990). Jealousy evocation will arise when someone in a relationship feels their partner is less committed. Interpersonal relationship partners may utilize Jealous evoking behaviors may feel they are not jeopardizing the relationship but using it as a positive strategy to strengthen it (Pytlak, 2015)
Method
Participants
The total number of people involved in the study were 344 University students. However, only a usable portion of 180 people was chosen that consisted of 140 females and 40 males between the ages of 18-54. The mean is standing at 22.6 years, while the standard deviation was 5.8. The requirements were that the participants had been involved in an interpersonal relationship for a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 5 years. The Mean being 27.1 months statistically making the standard deviation =18.4. This was a requirement since the data had to be from a ‘long lasting' relationship. This ensured that the study reflected was of typical behaviors about our research at Victoria University on the assessment on Jealousy evoking. The study was more accurately collective in the data, the reason being after the usable portion was decided, the data was then collected as ‘stable relationships' data. The recruiting process held was within' the Victoria University itself by the students enrolled in the unit ‘Psychology1A’ on campus.
Materials
The materials used in the research evolved around an 18-item survey with seven choices ranging from 1 being "Never" while seven was labeled "always," followed by an “Agree,” and “Do not agree” scale out of 5 points in two parts, thus making it a 3-scale survey. The survey was adapted from Pytlak’s Journal, from survey monkey that was conducted. (Pytlak 2015) The scale overall measured commitment, and uncertainty in a relationship. The surveys were on VU Collaborate, which an individual from the unit Psychology 1A had to approach someone they knew, that fit the criteria for the relationship length and age limit and asked to conduct the survey online and submit to Victoria University. Firstly, the participant asked to conduct the survey had to agree to a Participant information form. Approved by the coordinator of first-year Psychology.
Procedure
The participants were volunteered through students in Psychology at Victoria University. Student’s may have known to approach someone in family or a friend for example. It was stated that the survey presented had to be relatable to a current, or past relationship that met the criteria of the length the survey, which was a 5-year relationship max. My cousin conducted this survey by first filling in his sexual orientation and relationship length. Eventually once explained it was just a survey and was for a study on jealousy within' Victoria University, the participant was happy to go on and handed the 3-scale research in which my cousin did on their own and submitted for data collection.
Results
The study presented investigated jealousy evoking behaviors between two separate individuals that are involved in an interpersonal relationship. The first analysis involved determines the high and low jealousy evocation groups. A median split was created and compared. This is the average number of two groups, one is high, while the other low. One group studied that was high was categorized as the “Infrequent use of Jealousy evocation group” and the latter being “Frequent use of Jealousy evocation group” which was obviously the low group. Any participant that scored below 33 of the overall score on the jealousy evocation three scale survey was considered low, and anyone that scored over 33 was deemed to be high of the perceived partner commitment and relational certainty.
Table 1 Commitment scores by Jealousy Group
Variables
M(SD)
Sex
Age
Satisfaction
engage
Achieve
Sex
153 (0.5)
0
0.07
-0.09
0.02
0/14
Age
31.88(10.29)
0.08
0.19
0.20
Satisfac
260(1.57)
0.04
-0.14
Engage
3.44(1.06)
-0.29
Acheice
121 (0.3)
The results show that Mean scores (SD) Infrequent use of jealousy evocation group Perceived partner commitment (n=88) - 33.0 (3.1) Relational certainty (n=84) – 75.1 (6.8) Frequent use of jealousy evocation group Perceived partner commitment (n=86) – 30.1 (6.8) Relational certainty (n=76) – 66.1 (12.5). The results show that sex and satisfaction are inversely related and this is given by -0.09, the correlation further indicate that sex and age are positively correlated and this is true since the more mature you become the more sense you realize the need for sex. This is further shows positive correlation between age and satisfaction in relationship. This is what brings the concept of jealousy as the sense and need for relationship is affirmed when an individual mature and understand the need for relationship. The invoking of this jealousy as started by Mattingly, Whitson " Mattingly (2012) in fact suggested jealousy evocation may be a method of equalizing power within romantic relationships. Specifically, the person with less power may evoke jealousy in an attempt to restore balance to the relationship. Further, a person involved in a romantic relationship can gain control by inducing jealousy or leading the partner to believe an attractive alternative exists.
Figure 1. Descriptive statistics for Uncertainty Scores by Jealousy Group.
The graph above shows inverse relationship between the frequency of invoking jealousy and certainty of the relationship commitment. It should be applied carefully when it comes to the frequency and infrequency of the use. Note that the method does not work all the time and in case you use it frequently it may result into separation. Uncertainty in a relationship leads to question relational maintenance thus raising questions about the relationship and even unconsciously motivates an individual to evoke jealousy. The quality of the relationship becomes threatened thus leading to jealousy evocation, on the quality of the relationship within' an individual. With everything being said, when an individual in the interpersonal relationship believes their partner lacks commitment, this maintenance strategy of jealous evoking may occur to place the attention on one's self to test the relationship's commitment.
Discussion
The primary objective of this study was to examine relational partner perceptions that affect and serve as precursors to the occurrence of jealousy-evoking behaviors. In doing so, the researchers tested four different relationship variables: perceived partner commitment, self-commitment, satisfaction, and relational uncertainty. These relational elements have consistently impacted levels of relational affection and stability. Therefore, it makes sense that these might also help explain a partner’s need to create feelings of jealousy. Jealousy evoking can be techniques of power internally in the relationship especially with the person that feels threatened; they will utilize this technique to restore balances of power and show dominance on their side. It should be applied carefully when it comes to the frequency and infrequency of the use. Note that the method does not work all the time and in case you use it frequently it may result into separation. Uncertainty in a relationship leads to question relational maintenance thus raising questions about the relationship and even unconsciously motivates an individual to evoke jealousy. The quality of the relationship becomes threatened thus leading to jealousy evocation, on the quality of the relationship within' an individual. Frequent use of Jealousy evocation group” which was obviously the low group. Any participant that scored below 33 of the overall score on the jealousy evocation three scale survey was considered low, and anyone that scored over 33 was deemed to be high of the perceived partner commitment and relational certainty. The results concur with other writers concerning invocation of jealousy in relationship.
References
Buss, D. M. (1988). From vigilance to violence: Tactics of mate retention in American undergraduates. Ethology and Sociobiology, 9, 291–317
Mattingly, B. A., Whitson, D., " Mattingly, M. J. B. (2012). Development of the romantic jealousy induction scale and the motives for inducing romantic jealousy scale. Current Psychology, 31, 263–281
Pytlak, M. A, Zarega, L. M., Houser, M.L. (2015). Jealousy Evocation: Understanding Commitment, Satisfaction, and Uncertainty as Predictors Of Jealousy-Evoking Behaviors. Communication Quarterly, 63(3) 310-328.'
Roloff, M. E., " Cloven, D. H. (1990). The chilling effect in interpersonal relationships: The reluctance to speak one’s mind. In D. D. Cahn (Ed.), Intimates in conflict: A communication perspective (pp. 49–76). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sheets, V. L., Fredendall, L. L., " Claypool, H. M. (1997). Jealousy evocation, partner reassurance, and relationship stability: An exploration of the potential benefits of jealousy. Evolution of Human Behavior, 18, 387–402
White, G. L. (1980). Inducing jealousy: A power perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6, 222–227.
