Günnur Karakurt

The Impact of Adult Attachment Styles on Romantic Jealousy: Testing a Mediational Model Günnur Karakurt

Jealousy is an emotional complex that emerges at an early age as a natural human reaction. Studies on the antecedents of jealousy suggest that certain personality characteristics, mainly low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy, are strongly associated with jealousy. In addition to individual characteristics, the characteristics of the relationship, including dependency and interdependency, affect jealousy. These determinants of jealousy are also functions of attachment and affect regulation processes. Consequently, individuals with different attachment patterns are expected to display specific reactions to jealousy-evoking situations that are consistent with their attachment styles. This book investigates the relationship between mental models of attachment and jealousy through a mediational model. Findings indicate that a more positive model of self and others is related to a lower level of inadequacy that in turn contributes to a lower level of jealousy.