I'm Watching You: Examining Mate Value Discrepancy, Power, and Jealousy in Electronic Intrusion of Romantic Partners

Electronic intrusion (EI), the act of monitoring a romantic partner and violating their boundaries online, has gained empirical interest as a prevalent form of digital dating abuse (DDA). The present thesis sought to explore why individuals perpetrate EI against their partners. Within the framework of evolutionary theory, prior research has revealed high mate value discrepancies (MVD) predict greater DDA perpetration. In the present research two cross-sectional correlational studies test perceived MVD as a predictor of EI perpetration, jealousy as a moderator, and desire for power as a mediator of this association. Across both studies I found that contrary to predictions, MVD did not predict EI perpetration, jealousy did not moderate this association, and desire for power did not mediate the association. These findings contribute to the literature on this new form of partner abuse and suggest that further work is needed to understand why individuals perpetrate EI towards their partners.