Love attitudes, psychological femininity and masculinity, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and emotional intelligence of rejectors in close relationships

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to determine the discrepancies between people who tend to abandon their partners in close relationships and people who are involved in long-term relationships in: love attitudes (Ludus – game playing love, Eros – passionate love, Storge – friendship love, Pragma – practical love, Mania – possessive love, Agape – altruistic love), psychological femininity and masculinity, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and emotional intelligence.Participants and procedureThe subjects included 60 adults who reject their partners in close relationships and a reference group of 60 adults who were involved in a close relationship. The participants had qualified as rejectors when they: described themselves as “rejectors”; declared that they were not in a romantic relationship or were in one that lasts no longer than one year, claimed that in their relationships history they had rejected their partners more often compared to when they had been rejected. The measures were used: The Love Attitudes Scale, Sex Role Inventory, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Test of Machiavellianism MACH IV, and Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire.ResultsThe results showed that rejecters score higher on Ludus and Pragma but lower on Agape and Eros, in comparison with participants from the reference group. There is correlation between masculinity and the number of partners who were rejected by rejecters.ConclusionsLove attitudes Ludus and Pragma predicted being a rejector in close relationships.