Triangle theory of love
The triangle theory of love (English: triangular theory of love ) assumes is that the love of the people of the three components familiarity or intimacy , passion and decision or binding composed, in the form of a triangle can be represented which, according to the combinations of the three components result in the eight kinds of love. It was first described by the American psychologist Robert Sternberg in 1984 , who previously dealt with various models of intelligence and tried to develop a model for love relationships based on his findings.
The three components of love
In his model of the triangle theory of love, Sternberg lists three components that influence one another and can also occur together. The components are differently pronounced according to the different forms of love and the duration of the relationship.
- Familiarity or intimacy is associated with sympathy and contains positive feelings such as closeness , respect and appreciation of the partner, emotional bond , mutual trust , bondage and connectedness , intimacy , comfort , the desire for well-being , warmth, feelings of happiness , reliability, community and meaning in the relationship to share and provide mutual emotional support. This component can therefore also be seen as the emotional component of love.
- In theory, passion is seen as a component for motivation , as it promotes a high level of activation . Passion triggers feelings of attraction to the partner, of closeness, the desire for physical devotion, and the desire that the partner feel the same. Passion and familiarity are interrelated. However, in contrast to passion, familiarity is seen as an emotional and not motivational component. Motives for passion can include avoidance of loneliness , domination and submission, and sexual needs . The strength of this need depends on various factors, such as the type of relationship, the situation and one's own mood and behavior of the partner.
- Decision or attachment is the cognitive component in a love relationship. A distinction can be made between the short-term and the long-term component. With the long-term component, the decision is made to continue cultivating the relationship after a long period of time. Likewise, people can also only opt for a short-term relationship.
The eight kinds of love
Sternberg assumes that people go through different types of love or relationships in their lives. Changes can occur with other partners as well as with the same partner and situation-related influences can lead to changes. Sternberg names the following eight types of love:
- Non-love: none of the three components is fulfilled. The relationship therefore turns out to be very superficial and cool.
- Like ( Liking ): The component familiarity or Bonding is satisfied. Feelings that are felt here are characteristic of short relationships and friendships.
- Infatuation ( Infatuation ): Primarily the component occurs passion here. This form of love is also described as love at first sight, because although it takes place very quickly, it can also pass away very quickly. Psychophysiological factors such as increased heart rate , palpitations or increased hormone release (mainly serotonin and dopamine ) can occur. This form of love takes place very often because, from the point of view of perceptual psychology, such decisions are made in a few seconds on the basis of the attractiveness of the other person, without having any further information.
- Empty love: In this form of love, the decision or bond component is claimed. In long-term relationships, the familiarity and passion can wear off or disappear completely. Yet couples in this kind of love try to keep their relationship going because they once made up their minds for it. Reasons can be, for example, common children or common property.
- Romantic love: Here, the component decision or bond is usually missing. However, passion and familiarity are strong. These relationships are therefore also compared with couples from classic romantic works such as Romeo and Juliet or Tristan and Isolde .
- Comradely Love ( companionate Love ): This form of love is based on familiarity and Decision or binding. However, in the absence of passion, the decision to enter into a deep, long-term relationship does not take place. Typical examples of this form of love are long-term friendships and sibling love.
- Silly love ( fatuous Love ): In this form of love lacks familiarity. It happens when people form bonds too quickly and as a result, relationships usually only exist for a short time.
- Perfect love ( Consummate Love ): This form of love is striven for by many, but achieved by very few and requires that all three components are fulfilled. It can take place in long-term relationships, but only for a limited time, as the passion component does not remain stable forever.
In tabular form, the types of love can also be described as follows:
| Familiarity or intimacy | Passion | Decision or commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-love | |||
| To like | x | ||
| Infatuation | x | ||
| Empty love | x | ||
| Romantic love | x | x | |
| Comradely love | x | x | |
| Simple-minded love | x | x | |
| Perfect love | x | x | x |
Web links
- The triangular theory of love in the online lexicon of psychology and education by Werner Stangl
literature
Primary literature
- Robert J. Sternberg : Toward a triachic theory of human intelligence. In: Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Vol. 7 (1984), pp. 269-287.
- Robert J. Sternberg: A triangular theory of love. In: Psychological Review , Vol. 93 (1986), pp. 119-135.
- Robert J. Sternberg, Susan Grajek: The nature of love. In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Vol. 47 (1984), pp. 312-329.
Secondary literature
- Elliot Aronson, Robin M. Akert, Timothy D. Wilson: Social Psychology. 6th edition, Pearson, Munich a. a. 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7359-5 , p. 378.
- Horst Heidbrink, Helmut E. Lück, Heide Schmidtmann: Psychology of social relationships. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-17-020050-0 , p. 38 ff.
- Hans-Werner Bierhoff: Social Psychology. A textbook. 6th edition, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3-17-018842-6 , pp. 73 ff.
- Dieter Krainz, Birgit Maurer: When love causes grief. Relationship suffering and separation pain. Here's how to get over it. Orac, Vienna 2011, ISBN 978-3-7015-0536-4 . (especially Chapter 1: What is Love? )