
Contents
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Infidelity: An Important Adaptive Challenge Infidelity: An Important Adaptive Challenge
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Partner/Child Abandonment Partner/Child Abandonment
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Loss of Resources/Coparenting Loss of Resources/Coparenting
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Cuckoldry Cuckoldry
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Evidence of Violence in Response to Real or Suspected Infidelity Evidence of Violence in Response to Real or Suspected Infidelity
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Intimate Partner Violence Intimate Partner Violence
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Female-Perpetrated IPV, Jealousy, and Infidelity Female-Perpetrated IPV, Jealousy, and Infidelity
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Sexual Coercion and Rape Sexual Coercion and Rape
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Intimate Partner Homicide Intimate Partner Homicide
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Intrasexual Homicide Intrasexual Homicide
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Filicide Filicide
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Social-Cognitive and Emotional Adaptations Linked to Infidelity and Violence Social-Cognitive and Emotional Adaptations Linked to Infidelity and Violence
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Sensitivity to Cues of Partner Infidelity Sensitivity to Cues of Partner Infidelity
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Emotional, Sexual, and Morbid Jealousy Emotional, Sexual, and Morbid Jealousy
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Anxiety and Anxious Attachment Anxiety and Anxious Attachment
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Individual Differences in Violence Individual Differences in Violence
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Mate Value Mate Value
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Differences in Fertility Status and Reproductive Value Differences in Fertility Status and Reproductive Value
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Social-Ecological Contexts Influencing Responses to Infidelity Social-Ecological Contexts Influencing Responses to Infidelity
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Patriarchy and Cultures of Honor Patriarchy and Cultures of Honor
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Income Inequality, Resource Scarcity, and Environmental Unpredictability Income Inequality, Resource Scarcity, and Environmental Unpredictability
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Sex Ratios and Perceived Mate Availability Sex Ratios and Perceived Mate Availability
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Conclusions and Future Research Directions Conclusions and Future Research Directions
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References References
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23 Violence and Homicide Following Partner Infidelity
Get accessSteven Arnocky, Nipissing University
Ashley Locke, Nipissing University
Larissa McKelvie, Nipissing University
Tracy Vaillancourt, University of Ottawa
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Published:20 October 2022
Cite
Abstract
Infidelity is one of the greatest adaptive challenges of our reproductive lives. A partner’s infidelity can lead to their defection from the relationship and offspring, loss of important resources, and for men, cuckoldry. It is unsurprising, then, that humans have evolved adaptations meant to prevent, curtail, and punish a partner’s infidelity. Among the most devastating of these are the perpetration of intimate partner violence, homicide, uxoricide, and filicide. This chapter reviews theory and supporting evidence that aggression has evolved, in part, as an adaptive set of behavior meant to prevent and respond to infidelity. It begins by describing the particular reproductive challenges posed by infidelity for men and women. Next, it reviews the available evidence that violence and killing is an abhorrent, yet predictable response to real or suspected infidelity, with attention paid to sex differences in these acts. The putative adaptive functions of different types of aggression toward an intimate partner, a sexual rival, and toward offspring are discussed. It then highlights the important role of perceptual biases surrounding infidelity and negative affect, including jealousy and anxiety, in mediating aggressive responses to infidelity. Finally, adaptive explanations of individual differences, cultural contexts, and environmental factors in predicting violent responses to infidelity are discussed and future directions are offered in order to highlight the pressing need for continued research on the adaptive functions of violence occurring in the shadow of infidelity.
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