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Chapter Eight - Defining Love and Romantic Attraction

Chapter Eight of the document discusses Robert Sternberg's Triangular Model of Love, which identifies three key components of love: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment. It also explores sociosexual orientation, the Two-Factor Theory of love, and various attachment styles that affect romantic relationships. Additionally, it addresses dysfunctions in relationships, marriage patterns, and the rules governing equity and need-based exchanges in partnerships.

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11 views

Chapter Eight - Defining Love and Romantic Attraction

Chapter Eight of the document discusses Robert Sternberg's Triangular Model of Love, which identifies three key components of love: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment. It also explores sociosexual orientation, the Two-Factor Theory of love, and various attachment styles that affect romantic relationships. Additionally, it addresses dysfunctions in relationships, marriage patterns, and the rules governing equity and need-based exchanges in partnerships.

Uploaded by

cobralord25
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Social Psychology Cristhian C.

Altamirano 1

Chapter Eight – Defining Love and Romantic Attraction

Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Model of Love – By using factor analysis, or sorting test items or
behaviors into similar groupings, Love can be reduced into three essential components:

1. Passion – romantic attraction and sexual desires. Infatuation is passion alone.


 Romantic Love is passion and intimacy without commitment.
2. Intimacy – feelings of close bonding with another. Liking is intimacy alone.
 Companionate Love is intimacy and commitment without passion.
3. Decision/Commitment – decision that one is in love with and committed to one another. Empty
Love is commitment alone.
 Fatuous Love is passion and commitment without intimacy.

Passionate Love – a state of intense longing for union with another.


 Romantic love, puppy love, etc.
Companionate Love – Affection and tenderness for those whose lives are entwined with our own.
 Parental love, maternal love, familial love, and brotherly love.

Sociosexual Orientation – the individual tendency to prefer unrestricted sex (no love) or restricted sex
(long-term, loving relationship). Those who fall under unrestricted sex tend to be more sexually active at
a young age and hold many partners at one time. They also value physical appearance more than
anything else. Restricted sex individuals hold traits linked to good parenting, responsibility, and
faithfulness, as important.

Two-Factor Theory – love consists of general arousal (factor 1), which is attributed to the presence of an
attractive person and consciously labeled as love by the individual (factor 2).

Sexual Gratification:

Physical attractive for men: waist-to-hip ratios in women, bodily symmetry


Physical attraction for women: no large ears or nose, defined jaw, bodily symmetry.

Cultural Norms about Sexuality and Family Bonds: Societal differences in age at which people begin to
experiment sexually with others:
 Americans kiss around the age of 13 and begin to have intercourse, oral sex, and heavy
petting (stimulation of each other’s genitals through clothing) around the age of 16 (Regan &
Joshi, 2003; Reynolds et al., 2003.).The Japanese have their first kiss around the age of 20
(Hatano, 1991).
 Losing a spouse or a loved one can result in severe psychological and physical damage. If a
spouse dies, the partner’s chance of dying skyrockets (Kaprio et al., 1987). A partner in
marriage protects a person against major diseases such as cancer (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton,
2001). The need to belong is forming strong, stable interpersonal relationships.
Social Psychology Cristhian C. Altamirano 2

Attachment Styles (Ainsworth et al., 1978; Bowlby, 1969; 1973): Mother provides a secure base, which
reduces the child’s stress by allowing them to explore the environment.

 Secure Attachment – easily expresses affection toward their mother and unconcerned about
being abandoned. Self-worth is based on family support.
 Anxious/ambivalent Attachment – becomes visibly upset from any separation from their
mothers and preoccupied with abandonment. Self-wroth is based on physical attractiveness
later in life.
 Avoidant Attachment – defensively detached from their mothers, rejecting them when they
returned. Sexual intercourse later in life involving the child and a mate is experienced more
negatively than other attachment styles.

Dysfunction in relationships:

Erotomania – a disorder characterized by fixed delusional beliefs that someone is passionately loved by
another.

 70% of cases between 1900 and 200 were women (Brune, 2001). They tend to be single, in their
mid-thirties, fantasizing over an older, higher status man.
 Men tend to be in their late twenties, looking for a younger, attractive woman.

Marriage Patterns and Rules:

1. Monogamy – marriage between one man and one woman.


2. Polygamy – marriage between more than one partner.
 Polygyny – one man marrying many women
 Polyandry – one woman marrying many men.

Equity Rule – You get benefits based on what you put in. Everybody shares equally.

Need-based Rule – You give what your partner needs, without counting.

Women tend to be more satisfied in long-term relationships with more feminine and androgynous
(masculine and feminine qualities) men.

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