I asked this question months ago; came accross this article today which explains it all ;-} .....being the academic I am, I will at least read it. So then I will know if my friends are correct who say, "a man just wants to know [who do you like better, little Matty Groves or me?].    If anyone wants to see the whole thing, send me an email at onthetrail2003@yahoo.com
Good weekend to you all.....Tina

Title: A review of sex differences in sexual jealousy, including self-report data, psychophysiological responses, interpersonal violence, and morbid jealousy
Author(s): Harris CR
Source: PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 7 (2): 102-128 2003
Document Type: Review
Language: English
Cited References: 128      Times Cited: 23      Find Related Records Information
Abstract: The specific innate modular theory of jealousy hypothesizes that natural selection shaped sexual jealousy as a mechanism to prevent cuckoldry, and emotional jealousy as a mechanism to prevent resource loss. Therefore, men should be primarily jealous over a mate's sexual infidelity and women over a mate's emotional infidelity. Five lines of evidence have been offered as support: self-report responses, psychophysiological data, domestic violence (including spousal abuse and homicide), and morbid jealousy cases. This article reviews each line of evidence and finds only one hypothetical measure consistent with the hypothesis. This, however is contradicted by a variety of other measures (including reported reactions to real infidelity). A meta-analysis of jealousy-inspired homicides, taking into account base rates for murder found no evidence that jealousy disproportionately motivates men to kill. The findings are discussed from a social-cognitive theoretical perspective.
KeyWords Plus: OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER; UNITED-STATES; GENDER DIFFERENCES; EVOLUTIONARY; INFIDELITY; PERSPECTIVE; PSYCHOLOGY; AGGRESSION; FLUOXETINE; STRENGTH