Chapter 11

     Did you know that there are different types of romantic love? Love is almost like a spectrum, covering different emotions and relationships. Passionate Love is " state of intense emotional and physical longing for union with another (Hendrick & Hendrick, 1992)." There are six things that describe this type. First, the brain changes by igniting this obsessive behavior with their partner, they often find the relationship in a positive and perfect light, only focusing on the good. All people from different cultures, genders, and age differences can experiences this type of love. For most adults, this love is often linked to sexual desire in their partner. "Finally, passionate love is negatively related to the duration of a relationship. Like it or not, the longer you’re with a romantic partner, the less intense your passionate love will feel (Berscheid, 2002)." This final rule of passionate love is why many relationships do not feel as exciting or fiery as time goes on. Another type of love is Companionate love. This is the "intense form of liking defined by emotional investment and deeply intertwined lives... many long-term relationships evolve into companionate love."(page 290). Intense communication, shared live experiences, values, and emotional turbulence early in the relationship give way to the predictability and intimacy of this relationship type. 

     A romantic relationship is "a chosen interpersonal involvement forged through communication in which the participants perceive the bond as romantic." Perception of the relationship is how partners view and define their relationship. As the perceptions change so does the relationship, and vice versa. Diversity is also an element in romantic relationships; this means the background, culture, sexual orientations of people. The choice of our partners plays a huge role. Choosing not only the person but choosing to maintain the relationship and bond. Commitment is the attachment to a partner and the intention to continue the relationship. This often is backed by hard work maintaining the relationships, and greater satisfaction between partners. Tensions in a relationship are often hard and confusing since we as people experience impulses, and change. We have to find this medium of not oversharing but still communicating and being open, of having individual identities, and having a predictable, stable partner.