If you ask everyone you know how they would describe romantic love, you would probably get a different answer from each person. Researchers have attempted to organize all the perspectives on love into a structured set of concepts. The triangular theory of love by Sternberg is one of the best researched, most popular models.

Consider the following two couples:

Couple 1: Julie and Jack support each other and share their private feelings. They know each other well and have a mutual desire to do what is best for each other which shows in their behavior. Julie and Jack are committed to stay together through thick and thin but they are not sexually active and do not feel a romantic connection.

Couple 2: Susan and Sam feel deeply connected and very close emotionally. They have a very strong mutual admiration for each other and seem to understand each other. Their hearts race when they are together and they want to spend as much time as possible touching, kissing, and having sex. They are “in the moment” and have not made a decision to be faithful or committed to each other.

Compare and contrast the two couples, explaining how they vary according to Sternberg’s theory. For each couple, identify the type of love and support your decision by recognizing aspects of the relationship that are associated with each of the components of the love category.

Development of Ideas: 50%
Organization: 10%
Conventions: 10%
Voice: 10%
Focus and Coherence: 20%