Measuring Love Around the World: A Cross-Cultural Reliability Generalization

Sexuality and Culture • Vol/Iss. 2024 • Springer • • Published In • Pages: 1-28 •
By Feybesse, Cyrille, Forthmann, Boris, Neto, Félix, Holling, Heinz, Hatfield, Elaine

Abstract

What is the most effective, least biased way for researchers to study how romantic love is experienced cross-culturally? To answer that question, this article offers a statistical validation of three scales used over the last several decades by psychologists and anthropologists to assess romantic love in different cultural settings (the three scales are the Passionate Love Scale, the Love Attitudes Scale and the Triangular Love Scale). The authors assess data from 79 studies that used the scales, representing 32,867 participants from 33 countries. They find all three scales to be relatively unbiased and effective, and conclude that romantic love is a universal feeling that translates effectively to all cultural contexts.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Assembled from previous publicationsOther Researchers' Included survey data from 79 published studies representing 32867 participants from 33 culturally diverse countries.

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Culturally-influenced traits (e.g. tendency towards individualism, masculinism, etc.) do not have a prohibitively significant impact on the Passionate Love Scale, the Love Attitudes Scale or the Triangular Love Scale in cross-cultural surveys.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: seb.wanggaouette