Citation

Tagler MJ. Soc. Psychol. Pers. Sci. 2010; 1(4): 353-360.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1948550610374367

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Many studies have found that traditionally aged college students differ in their relative distress when asked to imagine a partner's sexual versus emotional infidelity. This study examined how real partner infidelity experiences among college students and older adults influence these responses, using both forced choice and continuous scales. Consistent with evolutionary theory, and regardless of previous real infidelity experiences, male college students were more likely to be distressed by hypothetical partner sexual infidelity, whereas female college students were more distressed by emotional infidelity. In contrast, infidelity experience moderated adult responses. As hypothesized, sex differences were found only among adults who had not previously experienced real partner infidelity.