Types of Love - Robert Sternberg PDF

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Summary

According to Robert Sternberg, there are different types of love and in here it discussed the specific and meaning of love....

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Sternberg’s Triangular Theory and the 7 Types of Love

Intimacy, passion and commitment all have a role in relationships. Love is essential to our well – being. Though most have experienced it in their lives, they would have differing responses when asked define love. The triangular theory of love, developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Robert Sternberg, his theory suggests that people can have varying degrees of intimacy, passion and commitment at any one moment in time.

Three Components of Love Concept of love’s introduced as a love triangle that is made up of three components.

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Intimacy – which involves feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness. Passion – which involves feelings and desires that lead to physical attraction, romance and sexual consummation. Decision/Commitment – which involves feelings that lead a person to remain with someone and move toward shared goals.

Types of Love Three components of love interact in a systemic manner, working off of one another. The presence of a component of love and a combination of two or more components

create seven kinds of love experiences. These type of love may vary over the course of a relationship as well.

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Friendship – this type of love is when intimacy or liking component is present, but feelings of passion and commitment in the romantic sense are missing. Friendship love can be the root of other forms of love. Infatuation – characterized by feelings of lust and physical passion without liking and commitment. There has not been enough time for a deeper sense of intimacy, romantic love or consummate love at the beginning of relationship. The other forms of love may eventually develop after the infatuation phase eases up. Empty Love – characterized by commitment without passion and intimacy. At times, a strong love deteriorates into empty love. The reverse may occur as well. For instance, an arrange marriage may start out empty but flourish into another form of love over time. Romantic Love – bonds between emotionally through intimacy and physical passion. Partners in this type of relationship have deep conversations that help them to know intimate details about each other. They enjoy sexual passion and affection. Companionate Love – is an intimate, but non – compassionate sort of love. The intimacy or liking component and the commitment component of the love triangle make up companionate love. It is stronger than friendship because there is a long – term commitment. There is minimal or no sexual desire. Fatuous Love – commitment and passion are present while intimacy or liking is absent. Fatuous love is typified by a whirlwind courtship and marriage in which passion motivates a commitment without the stabilizing influence of intimacy. Consummate Love – is made up all of three components and is the total form of love. It represents an ideal relationship. Couples who experience this kind of love have great sex several years into their relationship. They cannot imagine themselves with anyone else. They also cannot see themselves truly happy without their partners. According to Dr. Sternberg, however, consummate love may be harder to maintain than it is to achieve, as the components of love must be put into action....