Chapter 6

1.) Chapter 6, titled “Romance, Love, and Loving Relationships,” discusses the differences between love and like, what exactly is love, intimacy, commitment, six theories about love/loving (the Biochemistry of Love, the Attachment Theory, Reiss’s Wheel Theory of Love, Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, Lee’s Styles of Loving, and the Exchange Theory), the functions of love/loving, experiencing love (falling in love), when love goes wrong, long-term love, and global views of love such as arranged love (arranged marriages).

2.) Under the section “what attracts people to each other?,” I found it interesting how the book says that “we will never meet millions of potential lovers because they are filtered out by formal or informal rules on partner eligibility based on factors such as age, race, social class, religion, sexual orientation, health, or physical appearance,” but nowhere does it mention that we won’t find “the one” based on location. Your “true love” may not live in the same geographical location as you. For example, one of my sorority sisters just graduated from grad school and is now married to a man from France. It doesn’t even have to be as far apart as that, they might be from California or Florida or even New York, you never know.

Through “Lee’s Styles of Loving,” I found it interesting that as I was reading the various descriptions, at least one person I have encountered during my life came to mind. The theory made a lot of sense to me because of those connections. I’ve also known many people in unhealthy relationships so while reading “Other Controlling Behavior” (p. 153) I made connections by thinking about the various relationships I have witnessed.

3.) I’m curious as to which theory (or theories) my classmates are more drawn to in explaining love, and which ones they find flawed (if any).