Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-wlg5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T14:35:08.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heterogeneity of the Jealousy Phenomenon in the General Population: An Italian Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Donatella Marazziti ,
Alfredo Sbrana ,
Paola Rucci ,
Luca Cherici ,
Francesco Mungai ,
Chiara Gonnelli ,
Enrico Massimetti ,
Francesca Raimondi ,
Maria Rosaria Doria  and
Sabrina Spagnolli
...Show all authors
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the general agreement that normal jealousy is heterogenous, little is known about this specific topic.

Methods: In the present study, we explored the possibility of distinguishing between four subtypes of “normal” jealousy (depressive, anxious, obsessive, and paranoid) amongst a cohort of 500 healthy university students by means of a specifically designed questionnaire, “Questionario della gelosia” (QUEGE). QUEGE is a self-report instrument of 30 items which explores the presence, frequency, and duration of feelings and behaviors related to jealousy. It was devised to investigate four hypothetical psychopathological profiles: depressive, paranoid, obsessive, and anxious.

Results: The factor analysis identified five rather than four clear-cut factors: self-esteem, paranoia, interpersonal sensitivity, fear of being abandoned, and obsessionality. Women showed statistically significant lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of obsessionality than men. Younger age (<25 years) was associated with lower self-esteem and higher levels of paranoia and obsessionality, while being single was associated with lower self-esteem and higher levels of obsessionality.

Conclusion: The present study provides evidence of the reliability and validity of the QUEGE instrument, which seems to identify the presence of five psychopathological dimensions within the jealousy phenomenon in the general population.

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , January 2010 , pp. 19 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1.Mullen, PE. Jealousy: The pathology of passion. Br J Psychiatry. 1991; 158: 593–601.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Hupka, RB. Jealousy: compound emotion or label for particular situation? Motivation and Emotion. 1984; 8: 141–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Salovey, P. The psychology of jealousy and envy. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 1991.Google Scholar
4.Hatfield, E, Rapson, RL. Love, sex, and intimacy. New York, NY: HarperCollins; 1993.Google Scholar
5.Buss, DM. Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behav Brain Sci. 1989; 12: 1–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Marazziti, D. Neurobiology and hormonal aspects of romantic relationships. In: Haan, DE and Gunnar, (Eds.), Handbook of developmental Social Neuroscience. New York, NY: Guilford Press; in press.Google Scholar
7.Mathes, EW. Men's desire for children carry their genes and sexual jealousy: a test of paternity uncertainty as an explanation for male sexual jealousy. Psychol Rep. 2005; 9: 791–798.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Van Sommers, PV. Jealousy. New York, NY: Penguin Books; 1988.Google Scholar
9.Parker, G, Barrett, E. Morbid jealousy as a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Aust NZ J Psychiatry. 1997; 31: 133–138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Docherty, J, Ellis, J. A new concept and finding in morbid jealousy. Am J Psychiatry. 1976; 133: 679–683.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Mullen, PE, Martin, J. Jealousy: A community study. Br J Psychiatry. 1994; 164: 35–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Cobb, JP, Marks, IM. Morbid jealousy featuring as obsessive-compulsive neurosis; treatment by behavioural psychoterapy. Br J Psychiatry. 1979; 134: 301–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Michael, A, Mirza, S, Mirza, KAH, Babu, VS, Vithayathil, E. Morbid jealousy in alcoholism. Br J Psychiatry. 1995; 167: 668–672.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Paul, L, Foss, MA, Galloway, J. Sexual jealousy in young men and women. Aggress Behav. 1993; 19: 401–420.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Shrestha, K, Rees, DW, Rix, KJB, Hore, BD, Faragher, EB. Sexual jealousy in alcoholics. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1985; 72: 283–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Tarrier, N, Beckett, R, Harwood, S, Bishay, N. Morbid jealousy: a review and cognitive-behavioural formulation. Br J Psychiatry. 1990; 157: 319–326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Marazziti, D, Di Nasso, E, Masala, I, et al. Normal and obsessional jealousy: A study of a population of young adults. Eur Psychiatry. 2003; 18: 106–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Marazziti, D, Rucci, P, Di Nasso, E, et al. Jealousy and subthreshold psychopathology: a serotonergic link. Neuropsychobiology. 2003; 47: 12–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Maggini, C, Lensi, P. Gelosia e depressione. Rivista Sperimentale di Freniatria. 1995; 119: 240–254.Google Scholar
20.Maggini, C, Lundgren, E, Leuci, E. Jealous love and morbid jealousy. Acta Biomed. 2006; 77: 137–146.Google ScholarPubMed
21.DeSteno, D, Valdesolo, P, Bartlett, MY. Jealousy and the threatened self: getting the heart of the gree-eyed monster. J Pers Soc Psycol. 2006; 91: 626–641.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Catalano-Nobili, C, Cerquetelli, G. Psicologia e psicopatologia della gelosia. Rivista di Neuropsichiatria. 1953; 13: 213–248.Google Scholar
23.Bowlby, J. Attachment and Loss. Vol. I. Attachment. New York, NY: Basic Books; 1969.Google Scholar
24.Bowlby, J. Attachment and Loss. Vol. 2: Separation: Anxiety and Anger. New York, NY: Basic Books; 1973.Google Scholar
25.Bowlby, J. Attachment and Loss. Vol. 3: Loss, Sadness and Depression. New York, NY: Basic Books; 1980.Google Scholar
26.Brennan, KA, Clark, CL, Shaver, PR. Self-Report Measurement of Adult Attachment: An Integrative Overview. In: JA, Simpson and WS, Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 1998: 46–76.Google Scholar
27.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 1994.Google Scholar
28.Nie, NH, Hull, CH, Steinbrenner, K, Bent, DH. Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS), 4th ed. New York, NY: Mc Graw-Hill; 1998.Google Scholar
29.Nunnally, JC. Psychometric Theory, 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1978.Google Scholar
30.Buss, DM, Larsen, RJ, Westen, D, Semmelroth, J. Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology, and psychology. Psychological Science. 1992; 3: 251–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Hupka, RB, Buunk, B, Falus, G, et al. Romantic jealousy and romantic envy: a seven nation study. J Cross Cult Psychol. 1985; 16: 423–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Mathes, EW, Roterr, MP, Joerger, SM. A convergence validity study of six jealousy scales. Psychol Rep. 1982; 50: 1143–1147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33.Mathes, EW. Jealousy and romantic love: a longitudinal study. Psychol Rep. 1986; 58: 885–886.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34.Pines, AM, Friedman, A. Gender differences in romantic jealousy. J Soc Psychol. 1997; 138: 54–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35.Borel, J. Les psychoses passionelles. Paris, France: L'Expansion Scientifique Francaise; 1952.Google Scholar
36.Lagache, D. Le Jalousie amoureuse. Paris, France: Presses Universitaires de France; 1947.Google Scholar
37.Regier, DA, Farmer, ME, Rae, DS, et al. One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States and sociodemographic characteristics: the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1993; 88: 35–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38.Karno, M, Golding, JM, Sorenson, SB, Burnam, MA. The epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in five US Communities. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1988; 45: 1094–1099.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39.Buss, DM, Haselton, M. The evolution of jealousy. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005; 9: 506–507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
40.McGuire, M, Troisi, A. Evolutionary Psychiatry. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc; 1998.Google Scholar
41.Manschreck, TC. Delusional disorder: the recognition and management of paranoia. J Clin Psychiatry. 1996; 57(Suppl 3): 32–38.Google ScholarPubMed
42.Henderson, AS, Kay, DW. The epidemiology of functional psychoses of late onset. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1997; 247: 176–189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed