This article presents a construct validation of a love scale based upon a triangular theory of love. The article opens with a review of some of the major theories of love, and with a discussion of some of the major issues in love research. Next it briefly reviews selected elements of the triangular theory of love, according to which love can be understood as comprising three componentsรintimacy, passion, and decision/ commitment. Then the article presents two studies constituting the construct validation of the love scale. The construct validation comprises aspects of internal validationรdetermination of whether the internal structure of the data is consistent with the theoryรand external validationรdetermination of whether the scale based on the theory shows sensible patterns of correlations with external measures. The data are generally, but not completely supportive of the utility of the triangular love scale.
Introduction
Lovers can often be elusive, but in being so, they mirror the phenomenon of love itself. Few psychological constructs are more elusive than the construct of love (see Berscheid, 1988). But the elusiveness of love, like that of lovers, has not discouraged people altogether: several psychologists have proposed to capture the essence of love through a diverse range of theories of the phenomenon.
One of the earliest psychological theories was that of Freud (1922), which explicated love in terms of striving for an ego ideal. A later, related view was that of Reik (1944), which explained love in terms of a search for salvation. Maslow (1962) suggested that Deficiency love (D-love) might have the properties that Freud and Reik talked about, but that a higher form of love, Being love (B-love), was possible CCC 0046ยฑ2772/97/030313ยฑ23