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Love attitudes and romantic involvement: a replication and extension.
1School of Behavioural Studies, Nene-University College, Northampton, England. Phil.Erwin@Nene.ac.uk
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|April 24, 1999
Summary
British students in love scored higher on passionate (Eros) and selfless (Agape) love styles. They scored lower on the playful (Ludus) love style, confirming previous research.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Previous research by Hendrick and Hendrick (1988) explored love attitudes in American college students.
- Understanding the nuances of love styles across different cultural contexts is crucial for relationship psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether love attitudes (Eros, Agape, Ludus) differ between British students who are currently in love and those who are not.
- To replicate and extend Hendrick and Hendrick's (1988) findings to a British student population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Love Attitude Scale to assess love styles.
- Compared scores between two groups: students currently in love and students not currently in love.
- Employed statistical analysis to determine significant differences between groups.
Main Results:
- Students reporting they were "in love" scored significantly higher on Eros (passionate love) and Agape (selfless love).
- Conversely, students in love scored significantly lower on Ludus (playful, uncommitted love).
- Findings align with Hendrick and Hendrick's (1988) study on American students.
Conclusions:
- Love styles, specifically Eros, Agape, and Ludus, appear to be consistently associated with the state of being "in love" across different cultural groups.
- The findings support the generalizability of the Love Attitude Scale's dimensions in understanding romantic love.