Two separate issues concerning the relation between age and love are addressed in this article. The first issue is concerned with the age generalizability of the factor structure produced by responses to the Love Attitudes Scale. The data presented indicate that the factor structure of responses to the Love Attitudes Scale is highly similar in college-aged and middle-aged participants. The second issue concerns the relation between age and actual scores on the sub-scales of the Love Attitude Scales. The data indicate that age is related to responses on the Mania and Agape sub-scales, particularly for females. Collectively, these data suggest that general structural conceptions of love remain relatively constant into middle-age, but that there is a relation between age and some specific love styles.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BierhoffH. W., Twenty Years of Research on Love: Theory, Results, and Prospects for the Future, The German Journal of Psychology, 15, pp. 95–117, 1991.
2.
HendrickC. and HendrickS. S., Research on Love: Does it Measure Up?, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, pp. 784–794, 1989.
3.
RichardsonD. R.MedvinN., and HammockG., Love Styles, Relationship Experience, and Sensation-seeking: A Test of Validity, Personality and Individual Differences, 9, pp. 645–651, 1988.
4.
SternbergR. J. and BarbesM. L. (eds.), The Psychology of Love, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1988.
5.
LeeJ. A., The Colors of Love: An Exploration of the Ways of Loving, New Press, Toronto, 1973.
6.
LeeJ. A., The Colors of Love, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1976.
7.
HendrickC.HendrickS. S.FooteF. H., and Slapion-FooteM. J., Do Men and Women Love Differently?, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 1, pp. 177–195, 1984.
8.
LasswellT. F. and LasswellM., I Love You But I'm Not in Love with You, Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 38, pp. 211–224, 1976.
9.
HendrickC. and HendrickS. S., A Theory and Method of Love, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, pp. 392–402, 1986.
10.
BorelloG. M. and ThompsonB., A Note Regarding the Validity of Lee's Typology of Love, The Journal of Psychology, 124, pp. 639–644, 1990.
11.
DavisK. E. and Latty-MannH., Love Styles & Relationship Quality: A Contribution to Validation, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 4, pp. 409–428, 1987.
12.
BaileyW. C.HendrickC., and HendrickS. S., Relation of Sex & Gender Role to Love, Sexual Attitudes, and Self-esteem, Sex Roles, 16, pp. 637–648, 1987.
13.
HallA. G.HendrickS. S., and HendrickC., Personal Construct Systems and Love Styles, International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology, 4, pp. 137–155, 1991.
14.
MursteinB. I.MerighiJ. R., and VyseS. A., Love Styles in the United States and France: A Cross-cultural Comparison, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10, pp. 37–46, 1991.
15.
HendrickS. S. and HendrickC., Love and Sex Attitudes, Self-disclosure and Sensation-seeking, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 4, pp. 281–297, 1987.
16.
LesterD. and PhilbrickJ., Correlates of Styles of Love, Personality and Individual Differences, 9, pp. 689–690, 1988.
17.
RichardsonD. R.HammockG. S.LubbenT., and MicklerS., The Relationship between Love Attitudes and Conflict Responses, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8, pp. 430–441, 1989.
18.
WollS. B., Personality and Relationship Correlates of Loving Styles, Journal of Research in Personality, 23, pp. 480–505, 1989.
19.
HendrickS. S.HendrickC., and AdlerN. L., Romantic Relationships: Love, Satisfaction, and Staying Together, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, pp. 980–988, 1988.
20.
AdlerN. L.HendrickS. S., and HendrickC., Male Sexual Preference and Attitudes toward Love and Sexuality, Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 12, pp. 27–30, 1986.
21.
HendrickS. S. and HendrickC., Love and Sex Attitudes: A Close Relationship, Advances in Personal Relationships, 1, pp. 141–169, 1987.
22.
HendrickS. S. and HendrickC., Love, Sex Attitudes, and Religious Beliefs, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 5, pp. 391–398, 1987.
23.
AdlerN. L. and HendrickS. S., Relationship between Contraceptive Behavior and Love Attitudes, Sex Attitudes, and Self-esteem, Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, pp. 302–308, 1991.
24.
HendrickC. and HendrickS. S., Lovers Wear Rose Colored Glasses, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, pp. 161–183, 1988.
25.
HarrisM. B., Is Love Seen as Different for the Obese?, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20, pp. 1209–1224, 1990.
26.
FabesR. A. and MartinC. L., Gender and Age Stereotypes of Emotionality, Personality and Social Psychology and Bulletin, 17, pp. 532–540, 1991.
27.
WalsterE. and WalsterG. W., A New Look at Love, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1978.
28.
Neiswender-ReedyM. N.BirrenJ. E., and SchaieK. W., Age and Sex Differences in Satisfying Love Relationships across the Adult Life Span, Human Development, 24, pp. 52–66, 1981.
29.
WollS. B.WorthingtonR., and DonaldsonS., What Can We Learn about Love from the College Sophomore?, presented at the 95th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, New York City, August 1987.
30.
AckerM. and DavisM. H., Intimacy, Passion and Commitment in Adult Romantic Relationships: A Test of the Triangular Theory of Love, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 9, pp. 21–50, 1992.
31.
BrendenM. A., Retention of Undergraduate Women of Nontraditional Age: Patterns, Strategies, and Services, Journal of the National Association for Women Deans, Administrators, & Counselors, 49, pp. 22–27, 1985.
32.
MetznerB. S. and BeanJ. P., The Estimation of a Conceptual Model of Non-traditional Student Attrition, Research in Higher Education, 27, pp. 15–38, 1987.
33.
RossJ. M., Transitions, Triggers, and the Return to College: No Simple Decision, Journal of College Student Development, 29, pp. 112–118, 1988.
34.
SewallT. J., A Study of Adult Undergraduates: What Causes Them to Seek a Degree?, Journal of College Student Personnel, pp. 309–314, 1984.
35.
SmartJ. C. and PascarellaE. T., Influences on the Intention to Reenter Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education, 58:3, pp. 306–322, 1987.
36.
StewartS. S. (ed.), Commuter Students: Enhancing Their Educational Experience, Jossey-Bass Inc., San Francisco, 1983.
37.
CohenJ. and CohenP., Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd Edition), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1983.
