Jealousy: Analytic behavioral interpretation

Abstract

Analysis and considerations on jealousy supported by Behavior Analysis have been made by some authors, including Skinner. However, it is noticed that the scientific production on this topic under the behavioranalytic framework is limited. Considering that jealousy permeates important issues related to activity of the psychologist and there are still important gaps in the literature, this article intends to present a possible interpretation of jealousy under a perspective of behavior analysis. This interpretation was based on analysis by authors who have diverse theoretical orientation as well as on specific behavior analytic literature. Jealousy is characterized as a complex set of interconnected behaviors, some of them elicited e other operant. Elicited and operant components, although inseparable, do not have causal relation to each other, but instead are both functional relations between environmental events and responses of the organism. It is also stated that the antecedent event implied in the jealous emotional behavior is the competition for reinforcers. The operant component of jealousy tends to be reinforced negatively by the removal of the rival or by the attenuation of the competition, although it also can be reinforced positively by social attention. Considering the complexity of the phenomenon, there is much to improve and question about any approach of Jealousy. Nevertheless, the present study contributes to the comprehension of the jealous emotional behavior, since it presents an interpretation of it based on a theoretical background that allows empirical tests of what is being proposed.