Jealousy As Good: Bad Behavior and Jealousy
Jealousy As Good: Bad Behavior and Jealousy
At its worst embodiment, jealousy is associated with aggression and violence. Jealousy has been reported
as a factor in aggressive behaviors toward romantic rivals (DeSteno, Valdesolo, & Bartlett, 2006; Paul,
Foss, & Galloway, 1993) and in contributing to intimate partner violence (Chiffriller & Hennessy, 2007;
Harris, 2003; Mullen, 1995). Extreme jealousy—called “pathological or morbid jealousy”—has been
observed in some homicidal “crimes of passion” (Mullen, 1993; Wilson & Daly, 1996)
Jealousy as Good
While recognizing the abundance of evidence for the dark side of jealousy, other scholars argue
that although the experience or expression of jealousy may indeed be negative, its function can
nonetheless be positive or good for the survival of the relationship (Berscheid, 1983; Knox,
1988; Salovey & Rodin, 1985). In response to a jealous partner, one may avoid forming other
relationships or no longer take his or her current partner for granted. In their literature review,
Harris and Darby (2010) concluded, “Despite its destructive side, jealousy also may have some
positive effects for individuals and relationships. For example, it alerts one to relationship threats
and can motivate behaviors that protect the relationship” (p. 547).
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Summary
Tindakan terburuk yang lahir dari perasaan cemburu tak jarang dikaitkan dengan agresi
dan kekerasan. Hal ini dikarenakan kecemburuan menjadi salah satu faktor utama perilaku
agresif dan kekerasan dalam hubungan romantis. Meskipun begitu, para sarjana lain juga tidak
menyangkal bahwa kecemburuan memiliki sisi positif, yaitu untuk menjaga dan
mempertahankan kelangsungan suatu hubungan.
This clarification concerning potential versus actual jealousy is also conceptually important
because it extends the transactional model of jealousy (Bringle, 1991; Rydell & Bringle, 2007),
which considers the reactive type of jealousy as being an emotional response to a relationship-
threatening event after it has occurred—not before. To broaden the concept of reactive jealousy
to include the potential for reactive emotional jealousy, as well as when it is the “after the fact”
makes sense, especially if one is satisfied with relationship, is exclusively committed to their
partner, has important plans and goals that involve their partner (i.e., strength of relationship
closeness), feels love for their partner, is in-love with the partner, has barriers to leaving the
partner and has other rewarding qualities of the relationship.
Thus, the key lesson from this study is that being ready to become jealous over relationship-
threatening events is itself a signal that the relationship is worthy of such a strong emotional
reaction. This is essentially the prediction from Berscheid’s (1983) Emotion-in-Relationships
model linking closeness and jealousy that was confirmed in this study. Salovey and Rodin (1989)
described this point more eloquently when they wrote that “jealousy . . . helps us to identify
those relationships . . . that are truly important to us. Without jealousy, close relationships might
be more pleasant, but would they be as meaningful?” (p. 242).
Sss : : Parafrase
Summary