College men and jealousy.

Abstract: 

Cultural meanings (e.g. the green eyed monster) and research interests have traditionally focused on female jealousy. In contrast, this research focused on male jealousy. Two-hundred ninety-one undergraduates at a large southeastern university completed a confidential, anonymous forty-four- item questionnaire on jealousy. Men reacted differently than women when jealous; they were significantly more likely to turn to alcohol and to believe that the more jealous they were (and maybe expressed this violentely), the more they showed their love. Social learning theory provides insights into these findings in that men are socialized to use alcohol to reduce unpleasant feelings rather than turn to friends. They are also socialized to react with anger/revenge when hurt. Implications and limitations of the data are suggested.