Relationship and Individual Characteristics as Predictors of Unwanted Pursuit

To further our understanding of perpetrators of unwanted pursuit following the breakup on an intimate relationship, individual characteristics, jealousy, neuroticism, and attachment style, and relationship variables, satisfaction, investment, quality of alternatives, and commitment, were examined as correlates of unwanted pursuit, which was operationalized as pursuit and aggression. Anxious attachment, behavioral jealousy, neuroticism, and investment distinguished between pursuers and non-pursuers. Pursuit and aggression were positively correlated with behavioral jealousy, anxious attachment, neuroticism, and investment. Pursuit was also correlated with commitment and lack of alternatives. In multiple regressions, behavioral jealousy was a unique predictor of pursuit and aggression. Pursuit was also predicted by anxious attachment and aggression was predicted by investment. The roles of attachment, jealousy, and relationship variables in unwanted pursuit are discussed.