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In psychology, a distinction is often made between two types of love:[1][2]
- Passionate love, also called infatuation, is "a state of intense longing for union with another. Reciprocated love (union with the other) is associated with fulfillment and ecstasy; unrequited love (separation) is associated with emptiness, anxiety, or despair",[1][3] and "the overwhelming, amorous feeling for one individual that is typically most intense during the early stage of love (i.e., when individuals are not (yet) in a relationship with their beloved or are in a new relationship)".[4]
- Companionate love, also called attachment, is "the affection we feel for those with whom our lives are deeply entwined",[1][3] and "the comforting feeling of emotional bonding with another individual that takes some time to develop, often in the context of a romantic relationship".[4]
Evolutionary theories suggest these two types of love exist for different purposes, and research from psychology and biology suggests they follow somewhat different mechanics.[5][6][7] Both passionate and companionate love can contribute to relationship satisfaction.[7][8] Passionate and companionate love can also be further distinguished from a third important type of love, compassionate love, which is love focused on caring about others.[7]
Passionate love is also commonly called "romantic love" in some literature, especially fields of biology, but the term "passionate love" is most common in psychology.[6] Academic literature on love has never adopted a universal terminology.[2][9] Other terms compared to passionate love are "being in love",[7][1][5] having a crush,[1] obsessive love,[1][7][5] limerence[1][10][5] and eros.[7]
Companionate love is commonly called "attachment"[11][4][6] or compared to strong liking, friendship love or storge.[7] This is usually considered the same as the "attachment system" from attachment theory, but not all authors agree.[12][6][7]
- ^ a b c d e f g Hatfield 1985, pp. 191–217
- ^ a b Bode, Adam; Kushnick, Geoff (11 April 2021). "Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love". Frontiers in Psychology. 12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.573123. PMC 8074860. PMID 33912094.
- ^ a b Hatfield & Walster 1985, p. 9
- ^ a b c Langeslag, Sandra (2024). "Refuting Six Misconceptions about Romantic Love". Behavioral Sciences. 14 (5): 383. doi:10.3390/bs14050383. PMC 11117554. PMID 38785874.
- ^ a b c d Fisher, Helen E.; Aron, Arthur; Mashek, Debra; Li, Haifang; Brown, Lucy L. (October 2002). "Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction, and Attachment". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 31 (5): 413–419. doi:10.1023/A:1019888024255. ISSN 0004-0002.
- ^ a b c d Bode, Adam (16 October 2023). "Romantic love evolved by co-opting mother-infant bonding". Frontiers in Psychology. 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176067. PMC 10616966. PMID 37915523.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Berscheid, Ellen (2010). "Love in the Fourth Dimension". Annual Review of Psychology. 61: 1–25. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100318. PMID 19575626.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bode, Adam; Kowal, Marta (3 May 2023). "Toward consistent reporting of sample characteristics in studies investigating the biological mechanisms of romantic love". Frontiers in Psychology. 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.983419. PMC 10192910. PMID 37213378.
- ^ Lehr, Nick (10 October 2016). "Limerence: The potent grip of obsessive love" (web). CNN. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
loveorinfatuationwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Diamond, Lisa (Jan 2003). "What does sexual orientation orient? A biobehavioral model distinguishing romantic love and sexual desire". Psychological Review. 110 (1): 173–92. doi:10.1037/0033-295x.110.1.173. PMID 12529061.