Quiz: How Jealous Are You? A Quick Check!

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Jealousy is a negative emotional reaction that is triggered by a relationship outside the desired exclusive partnership.

Jealousy can be caused by an actual or imagined relationship. It can also be due to a belief that such a relationship might happen in the future.

The two most commonly used jealousy scales worldwide are:

Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS) by Pfeiffer and Wong (1989), and
Revised Anticipated Sexual Jealousy Scale (RASJS) by Buunk (1997).

3 Aspects of Jealousy

Cognitive Jealousy (CJ): How often a person suspects and worries about a partner’s interest in a rival and the interest received from a rival.
Emotional Jealousy (EJ): How much annoyance a person feels when faced with a situation that triggers jealousy.
Behavioral Jealousy (BJ): What actions a person takes to protect their relationship or investigate their partner, such as asking questions or observing their partner’s behavior.

Quiz: How Jealous Are You? A Quick Check!

Courtesy: Based on the Italian version of the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS) by Pfeiffer and Wong (1989). Source: Validation study of the Italian brief version of the multidimensional jealousy scale.

Please think of a person with whom you are having or have had a strong romantic/love relationship. The person is referred to as X in this questionnaire. Please rate your response to the following questions.

Response Options:

1 – Not at all true for me
2 – Very slightly true for me
3 – Slightly true for me
4 – Moderately true for me
5 – Very true for me
6 – Mostly true for me
7 – Completely true for me

How often do you have the following thoughts about X?

1. I am worried that someone may be chasing after X (CJ).

2. I suspect that X may be attracted to someone else (CJ).

3. I think that someone else might be romantically interested in X (CJ).

4. I am worried that someone else is trying to seduce X (CJ).

5. I suspect that X is crazy about someone else (CJ).

How would you emotionally react to the following situations?

6. X comments to you on how great looking a particular person is (EJ).

7. X smiles in a very friendly manner at someone else (EJ).

8. Someone else is trying to get close to X all the time (EJ).

9. X hugs and kisses someone else (EJ).

10. X works very closely with another person (in school or office) (EJ).

How often do you engage in the following behaviors?

11. I look through X’s drawers, handbag, or pockets (BJ).

12. I question X about previous or present romantic relationships (BJ).

13. I say something nasty about someone else if X shows an interest in that person (BJ).

14. I question X about his or her telephone calls (BJ).

15. I join in whenever I see X talking closely to someone else (BJ).

Your Jealousy Scores:

Cognitive Jealousy (CJ) Score: /35

Emotional Jealousy (EJ) Score: /35

Behavioral Jealousy (BJ) Score: /35

Total Jealousy Score: /105

Score Interpretation:

Total Score 15-45: Low Jealousy
You generally experience low levels of romantic jealousy. Note: Score for each item ranged from 1 to 7. Cognitive Jealousy subscale items (questions 1-5) are reverse-scored.
Total Score 46-75: Moderate Jealousy
You may experience moderate levels of romantic jealousy in certain situations. Note: Score for each item ranged from 1 to 7. Cognitive Jealousy subscale items (questions 1-5) are reverse-scored.
Total Score 76-105: High Jealousy
Your score suggests you may be experiencing significant feelings of romantic jealousy. Note: Score for each item ranged from 1 to 7. Cognitive Jealousy subscale items (questions 1-5) are reverse-scored.

Note: This scale is for educational purposes only and not a diagnostic tool. If you’re experiencing feelings of jealousy that are significantly impacting your relationship or well-being, please consider speaking with a mental health professional.

how jealous you are: measure your jealousy level

What Causes Jealousy?

Marazziti & Sbrana (2010) found that jealousy is closely related to the following five factors:

Self-Esteem: Low self-esteem individuals may feel insecure (that their partner will leave them for someone better), making them more likely to feel jealous.
Paranoia: High levels of paranoia can lead to jealousy by triggering distrust and suspicion. A paranoid person may constantly worry that their partner is being unfaithful or is interested in someone else, which can intensify jealous feelings.
Interpersonal Sensitivity: Those with high interpersonal sensitivity may be more attuned to their partner's interactions with others, leading to increased jealousy. They might interpret neutral or friendly behaviors as threats, making them jealous even in benign situations.
Fear of Abandonment: This factor is directly linked to jealousy, as individuals who fear abandonment may become jealous when they perceive a potential threat to their relationship. This fear can lead to possessive behaviors and heightened emotional responses to perceived rivalries.
Obsessionality: Obsessiveness can show up as obsessive thoughts about a partner's loyalty or their attention to others. High levels of obsessionality may lead one to fixate on their partner's interactions, leading to irrational jealousy and controlling behaviors.

In summary, a person who is more likely to feel jealousy will typically have low self-esteem, high levels of paranoia, high interpersonal sensitivity, high obsessiveness, and a fear of abandonment.

Final Words

Jealousy can have both personal and social consequences.

Intense and uncontrollable jealousy can lead to anger and violence directed at the partner or loved one, or the person they perceive as a threat or rival to the exclusive relationship.
Extreme jealousy can even lead to murder (Evzonas, 2018).
Despite its negative aspects, jealousy can also serve a positive purpose by purpose by protecting a relationship and preventing outside interference (Chung and Harris, 2018).

Recent psychological research suggests that instead of treating jealousy as healthy or unhealthy, it may be more accurate to view it on a spectrum, ranging from normal to pathological (Tandler & Petersen, 2020).

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√ Also Read: Quiz: How Optimistic Are You? A Quick Check!

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