Love and the commitment problem in romantic relations and friendship

J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001 Aug;81(2):247-62. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.81.2.247.

Abstract

On the basis of the proposition that love promotes commitment, the authors predicted that love would motivate approach, have a distinct signal, and correlate with commitment-enhancing processes when relationships are threatened. The authors studied romantic partners and adolescent opposite-sex friends during interactions that elicited love and threatened the bond. As expected, the experience of love correlated with approach-related states (desire, sympathy). Providing evidence for a nonverbal display of love, four affiliation cues (head nods, Duchenne smiles, gesticulation, forward leans) correlated with self-reports and partner estimates of love. Finally, the experience and display of love correlated with commitment-enhancing processes (e.g., constructive conflict resolution, perceived trust) when the relationship was threatened. Discussion focused on love, positive emotion, and relationships.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Courtship
  • Cues*
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Love*
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Nonverbal Communication / psychology*