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Distinguishing between romantic love and romantic relationships
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, USA langeslags@umsl.edu.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Kruglanski's model may need refinement to fully explain romantic love, particularly concerning relationship initiation and one-sided love phenomena. Further specification is needed to determine its applicability to falling in love versus relationship formation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Romantic love and relationships are complex phenomena.
- Existing models of romantic love may not encompass all facets.
- Kruglanski's model offers a framework for understanding motivated action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the applicability of Kruglanski's model to romantic love.
- To determine if the model applies to falling in love, relationship initiation, or both.
- To assess the model's limitations regarding one-sided love.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of Kruglanski's model.
- Comparison with established theories of romantic love.
- Examination of specific love phenomena (e.g., unreciprocated love).
Main Results:
- Kruglanski's model may require specification regarding its scope (falling in love vs. relationship initiation).
- The model appears less applicable to one-sided love phenomena.
- Unreciprocated love, love at first sight, and parasocial love present challenges to the model's direct application.
Conclusions:
- Kruglanski's model's utility in understanding romantic love needs further clarification.
- The model's applicability is questionable for phenomena outside mutual romantic relationships.
- Future research should refine or adapt models to encompass the full spectrum of romantic love experiences.
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