Male mate retention mediates the relationship between female sexual infidelity and female-directed violence

Previous research has documented relationships between (1) female sexual infidelity and men’s non-violent mate retention behaviors, and (2) men’s non-violent mate retention behaviors and partner-directed violence. In the two studies, we examined two additional relationships: (1) the relationship between accusations of female sexual infidelity and men’s partner-directed violence and (2) whether men’s direct guarding mate retention behaviors mediates the relationship between accusations of female sexual infidelity and men’s partner-directed violence. The results indicate that (1) accusations of female sexual infidelity predict men’s partner-directed violence, (2) men’s reports of direct guarding mediates the relationship between accusations of partner sexual infidelity and partner-directed violence (Study 1, N = 165) and (3) women’s reports of men’s direct guarding partially mediates the same relationship (Study 2, N = 306). The discussion addresses sex differences identified in the mediation analyses, notes limitations of the research, and highlights directions for future research.