Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Introduction

• Proposed by Robert Sternberg in 1986, this theory identifies three components of love that combine in various ways to form different types of love.
• Components: Intimacy, Passion, Decision/Commitment.
• Results in eight types of love.

Components of Love

Intimacy

• Definition: Feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness.
• Characteristics:
  • Stable over time
  • Medium role in short-term, larger role in long-term relationships.
  • Causes moderate psychophysiological response.

Passion

• Definition: Drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual intimacy.
• Characteristics:
  • Usually unstable and changes over time.
  • Large role in short-term, medium role in long-term relationships.
  • Causes high psychophysiological response, short-term.

Decision/Commitment

• Definition: Cognitive decision in short-term and commitment in long-term.
• Characteristics:
  • Typically stable over time.
  • Small role in short-term, large role in long-term relationships.
  • More easily controlled than intimacy.

Types of Love

Nonlove

• Absence of all components.
• Common in everyday interactions and personal relationships.

Liking (Friendship)

• Presence of intimacy alone.
• Lacks passion and commitment.

Infatuated Love

• Presence of passion alone.
• Lacks intimacy and commitment.
• Often associated with love at first sight.

Empty Love

• Presence of commitment alone.
• Lacks intimacy and passion.
• Often seen in long-term relationships or arranged marriages.

Romantic Love

• Presence of intimacy and passion.
• Lacks commitment.
• Example: Romeo and Juliet.

Companionate Love

• Presence of intimacy and commitment.
• Lacks passion.
• Common in long-term friendships or marriages.

Fatuous Love

• Presence of passion and commitment.
• Lacks intimacy.
• Often seen in whirlwind courtships.

Consummate Love

• Presence of all three components.
• Considered the ideal form of love.

Related Research

• Studies by Lemieux and Hale (1999, 2000) supported the theory, showing components as predictors of relational satisfaction.
• Deverich (2009) found adolescents often lack consummate love due to inconsistency in components.

References

• Sternberg's original and related studies on the theory.
• Lemieux & Hale's studies on relational satisfaction.