Is it just a second-hand emotion?
Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment.
It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Love is a physiological motivation such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and sex drive.
Yet despite being one of the most studied behaviors, it is still the least understood.
For example, researchers debate whether love is a biological or cultural phenomenon.
How Do You Know You’re Feeling Love for Someone?
What are some of thesigns of love?
Researchers have made distinctions between feelings of liking and loving another person.
Are There Different Types of Love?
Sternberg broke love into three componentsintimacy, passion, and commitmentthat interact to produceseven types of love.
Is Love Influenced By Biology or Culture?
Love is most likely influenced by both biology and culture.
It is a part of human nature to seek out and find love.
However, culture can significantly affect how individuals think about, experience, and display romantic love.
Is Love an Emotion?
Psychologists, sociologists, and researchers disagree somewhat on the characterization of love.
On the other hand, the American Psychological Association defines it as “a complex emotion.
How to Show Love to Another Person
There is no single way to practice love.
Every relationship is unique, and each person brings their own history and needs.
Love can vary in intensity and can change over time.
History of Love
Only fairly recently has love become the subject of science.
Research on love has grown tremendously since Freud’s remarks.
But early explorations into the nature and reasons for love drew considerable criticism.
During the 1970s, U.S.
Despite early resistance, research has revealed the importance of love in both child development and adult health.
Burunat E.Love is not an emotion.Psychology.
Langeslag SJ, van Strien JW.Regulation of Romantic Love Feelings: Preconceptions, Strategies, and Feasibility.PLoS One.
2016;11(8):e0161087.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161087
American Psychological Association.APA Dictionary of Psychology.
2015;11:12731277. doi:10.2147/NDT.S79607
Freud S.The Freud Reader.New York: W. W. Norton & Company; 1995.
2016;8(1):12-14. doi:10.1080/17571472.2015.1133012
