Jealousy and attachment share some characteristics: both can be interpreted as dynamics aimed at maintaining the subjects/partners together, appear to be triggered by the separation from the attachment figure/partner, involve the same basic emotions, such as fear, anger, sadness, and, finally, both they elicit a sense of safety when the other is close and responsive, or the opposite when he or she is distant. Some studies showed that differences in attachment styles seem to influence both the frequency and the patterns of jealousy expression. However, jealousy is a quite heterogeneous phenomenon, even within the normality domain, and it would be more valuable to ascertain the impact of attachment styles on specific jealousy features. The present study explored the possible relationships between romantic attachment and jealousy in 100 healthy subjects.

The romantic attachment and jealousy were evaluated by means of, respectively, the “Experiences in Close Relationships” questionnaire (ECR), and the “Questionario della Gelosia” (QUEGE).

The ECR anxiety scale was related to all QUEGE dimensions, while the ECR avoidance scale to the self-esteem, fear of loss and suspiciousness dimensions. Individuals with the preoccupied, fearful-avoidant or dismissing attachment styles showed higher scores than secure subjects at all QUEGE dimensions, while dismissing individuals had lower scores at all dimensions.

Taken together, these findings suggest that the two phenomena, attachment and jealousy, are intertwined.