Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

We typically love the people with whom we form relationships, but the type of love we have for our family, friends, and lovers differs. Robert Sternberg (1986) proposed that there are three components of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. These three components form a triangle that defines multiple types of love: this is known as Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Intimacy is the sharing of details and intimate thoughts and emotions. Passion is the physical attraction—the flame in the...

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Genital

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Genital

The genital stage is the final phase of Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, beginning at puberty, around age 12. During this stage, sexual energy shifts from self-focused interests to external individuals, marking the development of mature adult sexuality. Freud saw this phase as a time of sexual reawakening, with desires directed toward others outside the family. A healthy transition into this stage, according to Freud, signifies the emergence of two key aspects of adult...

Understanding Love

Understanding Love

Love, as a multifaceted psychological construct, encompasses emotions, cognitive processes, and behavioral patterns that play a crucial role in human relationships. It extends beyond attraction, manifesting in deep, enduring connections that influence personal well-being and social structures.Psychological Dimensions of LoveLove differs from friendship and mere liking through its depth and intensity. While friendship is built on mutual respect, trust, and companionship, love involves emotional...

Passionate Love

Passionate Love

Passionate love is a powerful emotional and physiological state that plays a significant role in human relationships. It is characterized by an intense longing for connection with another person and is often considered the foundation of romantic attraction. Psychological research identifies three fundamental components of passionate love: cognition, emotion, and behavior.Cognitive AspectsCognition in passionate love involves idealization and persistent thoughts about the loved one. Individuals...

Companionate Love

Companionate Love

Companionate love is a fundamental aspect of long-term relationships, characterized by deep affection, mutual respect, and emotional intimacy. Unlike passionate love, which is driven by intense emotions and physical attraction but often declines over time, companionate love remains stable and can even strengthen with shared experiences and commitment. Psychological and biological mechanisms underpin this enduring form of love, influencing relationship longevity and satisfaction.Stability and...

Relationship Growth

Relationship Growth

Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Unanimity in the social sciences with reference to epistemology, ontology, and scientific method.

Psychiatry·2014

Same author

Psychosexual development, maternalism, nonpromiscuity, and body image in 15 females with precocious puberty.

Archives of sexual behavior·2013

Same author

Fetal feminization and female gender identity in the testicular feminizing syndrome of androgen insensitivity.

Archives of sexual behavior·2013

Same author

Prefatory remarks on outcome of sex reassignment in 24 cases of transexualism.

Archives of sexual behavior·2013

Same author

Fetal hormones and the brain: Effect on sexual dimorphism of behavior-A review.

Archives of sexual behavior·2013

Same author

Delayed puberty, eroticism, and sense of smell: A psychological study of hypogonadotropinism, osmatic and anosmatic (Kallmann's syndrome).

Archives of sexual behavior·2013

Same journal

The Effect of Spousal Support on Sexual Quality of Life and Psychological Well-Being Among Menopausal Women.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

Same journal

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire (VPAQscreen) for Brazilian Portuguese.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

Same journal

Sexual self-schemas across midlife: examining differences using computerized text analysis.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

Same journal

Female Sexual Dysfunction Across Diabetes Types Compared to Non-Diabetic Controls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

Same journal

Sexual Inhibition Moderates Associations Between Coerced Unwanted Sexual Contact and College Women's BDSM Fantasies.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

Same journal

Correction.

Journal of sex & marital therapy·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Published on: March 9, 2016

Sex, love, and commitment

Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

|January 1, 1976

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Erotic pair-bonding involves varying degrees of commitment, from courtship to parenthood. Unmet expectations can weaken bonds, potentially leading to relationship dissolution or therapy.

More Related Videos

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Published on: May 30, 2025

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

Published on: March 9, 2016

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility

Published on: May 30, 2025

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Published on: June 6, 2025

Area of Science:

Psychology
Human Sexuality
Relationship Science

Background:

Erotic pair-bonding is a fundamental aspect of human relationships.
The commitment within pair-bonds can range significantly in duration and depth.
Understanding the dynamics of erotic commitment is crucial for relationship stability.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the varying degrees of erotic commitment in couple relationships.
To examine the role of fantasy and projected expectations in pair-bonding.
To identify factors that contribute to pair-bond dissolution or the need for therapy.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of erotic pair-bonding.
Review of psychological and sociological theories on commitment.
Exploration of relationship phases: solicitation, coitus, and parenthood.

Main Results:

Erotic commitment exists on a spectrum, from short-term encounters to lifelong partnerships.
Individuals often project fantasies and future expectations onto their partners.
Failure to reciprocate these projected commitments can destabilize the pair-bond.

Conclusions:

The strength and nature of erotic commitment are highly variable.
Unmet partner expectations are a significant risk factor for relationship dissolution.
Relationship counseling and sex therapy may be necessary when pair-bonds weaken due to unmet commitments.