Testing and Refining a Consequence Model of Jealousy Across Relational Contexts and Jealousy Expression Messages

Abstract

An empirically tested model of an individual's cognitive and emotional consequences to a close relational partner's jealousy expression is described and tested. Specifically, general partner uncertainty, relational uncertainty, negative jealousy-related emotion, and rumination are examined in concert with one another as consequences of partner jealousy expression. Path modeling techniques reveal that one of two competing consequence models of jealousy fit the data: Upon partner jealousy expression, the jealous target first experiences general partner uncertainty, which leads to relational uncertainty, which leads to rumination, which finally leads to negative jealousy-related emotion. This model spans both close relationship types and specific methods of jealousy expression. Implications of this model for the theoretical pursuit of jealousy research are discussed.

Keywords:

• Jealousy Expression
• Rumination
• Negative Emotion
• Uncertainty

The author wishes to thank her dissertation chair Jerry Hale and her dissertation committee members, Kenzie Cameron, Jennifer Monahan, Tina Harris, and Michael Kernis, for their assistance in this project.

Notes

Note. All correlations are one-tailed. PartUnc = general partner uncertainty; RelUnc = relational uncertainty.

∗p < .01.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer L. Bevan

Jennifer L. Bevan (PhD, 2003) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This study was adapted from the author's doctoral dissertation, which was awarded the 2004 Interpersonal Communication Division Dissertation Award by the International Communication Association. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the National Communication Association.