Critically consider psychological explanations of love Essay

There argon three psychological theories of go to sleep, The Three Factor Theory of Romantic complete, Sternbergs Triangular Theory of Love and Romantic Love and Attachment. The three factor system of romantic crawl in suggested by Hatfield and Walster, recognises twain types of revere, passionate live and friendly passion. Whilst passionate sleep together croupe be seen as an intense physiological stimulus which involves a thirstiness for the other soul, companionate cognise is more a feeling of affection towards those whom we feel deeply about.Hatfield and Walster envision a theory to rationalize passionate make do ground on three factors physiological arousal, enchant love object and cultural exposure. The authors see love as a label that is placed on individual that we be physiologically aroused by. Experiencing this arousal will cause a person to relegate it is because of love, since this is what our culture t individuallyes us happens when we are in l ove. This theory receives support from search by Dutton and Aron. In this study, manful participants were interviewed on a high or mortified suspension bridge, by an attractive female.The results supported the prevision that those males interviewed on a high bridge matt-up more sexual attraction to the woman, presumably because they go through stronger physiological arousal. The males on the lower bridge matte less natural attraction, presumably because their physiological arousal was not as strong. It is possible that this theory could explain certain experiences such as love at beginning sight. However, since most people seem to travel by in love gradually, this would suggest that for the majority of individuals, the label, love, comes first rather that the physiological arousal.The theory is also more applicable to western rather past easterly or collectivist cultures. Sternberg defines love as affair (sharing mutual understanding and emotional support), passion (invol ves physical attraction and sexual desire) and decision/ committal (involves the short-run decision that you love someone and a longer-term commitment to maintain that love). These three components of love can be combined in diametric ways to give seven varieties of love liking, infatuation, empty love, romantic love, tender love, fatuous love and consummate love.These seven types of love form a triangle. Consummate love organism in the center as it is the strongest form of love since it involves all three components. Sternberg hopes that people have dickens different types of triangle. The first is based on an individuals make theory of love and is formed in a cultural context from watching television, observing parents, schooling books, including listening to fairy tales when young. The second triangle is based on the individuals current relationship. According to Sternberg when two triangles are similar, relationships tend to be more successful.The theory has applicative applications it is possible to measure the components in the two parties and then analyse the differences in the types of love shown by each partner. It helps pinpoint areas where change and compromise may be necessary. However, the components are rather vague, especially commitment, and it is in that respectfore tough to judge the basis on which one person decides to love another. Hazan and Shaver proposed that romantic relationships are concomitant relationships, and that individual differences in adult addendum style, mirror those found by psychologists who studied trammel styles such as Ainsworth.So rather than love being formed in a cultural context, Hazan and Shaver believe that love originates from a persons early relationship with a native caregiver. This theory developed out of two earlier pieces of research by Ainsworth and Bowlby. Ainsworths antic situation and the observation that churlren have three different styles of accompaniment secure, unstable/ intent resistant and insecure/anxious avoidant. Bowlbys belief that the becomes behaviour towards the child creates an internal working pretence that leads the infant to expect the same in ulterior(prenominal) relationships.According to Hazan and Shaver, ulterior love relationships can be predicted from a childs attachment style. So therefore a secure child who had a positive image of a warmth mother will have relationships in later life sentence that are friendly, trusting and more enduring. A child classified as insecure/anxious resistant will have conflicting memories of the mother, both positive and rejecting, causing relationships in later life to consist of emotional highs and lows, with moments of jealousy and concerns whether their partners really love them.Insecure/anxious avoidant children will remember their mother as cold and rejecting and have relationships in later life where they fear being close to someone and believe love is not necessary for satisfaction nor is i t long lasting. Hazan and Shavers research receives support from a number of studies in that there does seem to be a relationship amidst early attachment experiences and later attitudes and behaviour to love for example Feeny and Noller 1990. However the research has all been correlational in this area, so it cannot be claimed that early attachment causes later relationships behaviour.The relationship between the two could be caused by another factor. Kagon believes this other factor to be the temperament of the child. Infants are born with certain temperaments which escort the quality of their early relationships and these innate or familial factors affect relationships throughout life. The three psychological theories of love provide partial explanations for this most intense of homo emotion. Whilst Hatfield and Walster believe love to be a convey of strong physiological arousal, Sternberg and Hazan and Shaver believe that love originates from a persons early relationships wit h a primary caregiver.