Love Styles and Relationship Quality: A Contribution to Validation

Abstract

Using a sample of seventy heterosexual undergraduate couples, we examined the usefulness of the new measures developed by Hendrick & Hendrick (1986) of six of Lee's (1973) basic love styles to predict individual and couple relationship qualities. The six love styles (Eros, Storge, Pragma, Ludus, Agape and Mania) were related to six aspects of relationship quality (Viability, Intimacy, Care, Passion, Satisfaction and Conflict/Ambivalence) derived from Davis & Todd's (1982, 1985) work on friendship and love relationships. Item-loadings and factor structure of the love style scales were replicated, and the pattern of relations among love styles was consistent across gender. Eros and Agape were positively related to individual reports of relationship qualities, and Ludus was negatively related. Mania was positively related to Passion. The pattern of results was supportive of Lee's theory for Eros, Agape, Ludus and Mania, but not for Storge and Pragma. Couples were significantly similar in all love styles except Pragma and Mania. Absolute differences between couple members in specific love styles were related to relationship quality measures for Eros, Agape and Ludus. Agape discrepancies were predictive of lower Intimacy and Viability (for women) and Care (for men). Eros discrepancies were predictive of generally poorer relationships for women, and Ludus discrepancies of generally poorer relationships for men. The findings were quite supportive of the validity and usefulness of the love style assessment developed by Hendrick & Hendrick (1986).