Jealousy, Gender, and Culture of Honor: A Study in Portugal and Brazil

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine whether gender and culture of honor were associated with the type of infidelity (sexual or emotional) that affected our subjects more. Samples of 192 Portuguese university students (119 women and 73 men) and 415 Brazilian university students (214 men and 201 women) participated in this research. Participants responded to six dilemmas reflecting a type of infidelity (sexual or emotional), a gender scale, and a culture of honor scale. The results of both samples are compatible with the cultural theses about jealousy. Both men and women were more affected by emotional infidelity. In addition, it was found that the relationship between the sex of the participants and the type of infidelity that induced stress in them was affected by sociocultural variables, such as culture of honor, masculinity, and femininity. Some differences in the response patterns in the case of an infidelity, in both samples (Portuguese and Brazilian), are shown and discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Culture of honor
• gender
• infidelity
• jealousy

Notes

¹ A fourth equation was run in which a four-way interaction with the predicting variable (sex X masculinity X femininity X culture of honor) was included. This interaction was not significant.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jesús M. Canto

Jesús M. Canto is associated professor of Social Psychology at the University of Málaga, Spain. His research focuses on intergroup relationships and the social causes of jealousy. He is co-editor of different books in social psychology and has taken part in national and international projects on his areas of interest, publishing in international journals of psychology and social psychology.

José Luis Alvaro

José Luis Alvaro is professor of Social Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. His research focuses on emotions, social stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. He has published in national and international journals on his topics of interest and is co-editor of different books in social psychology.

Cícero Pereira

Cícero Pereira is associated professor of Social Psychology at the Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil. His research interests focus on research methods in psychology and the legitimizing processes of discrimination against minority groups in contexts where prejudice is anti-normative.

Alicia Garrido

Alicia Garrido is associated professor of Social Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. Her research focuses on social stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination, with special emphasis on gender stereotypes and discrimination. She has participated in several international projects on her areas of interest and has published in international journals on her topics of interest.

Ana R. Torres

Ana R. Torres is associated professor of Social Psychology at the Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil. Her research focuses on social stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. She has published in national and international journals on his topics of interest and is co-editor of different books in social psychology.

Marcos Emanoel Pereira

Marcos Emanoel Pereira is associated professor of Social Psychology at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. His research focuses on social stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. He has published in national and international journals on his topics of interest.