Discuss the extent to which psychologists have been able to explain love [24 marks].
Psychologists have described love as invisible packages of feelings, thoughts and behavioural predispositions within an individual (Rubin 1973). However it is not so easy to define what love really is. Love has a multitude of meanings There are two main types of love; companionate and romantic. Companionate love is usually shared between friends and family, whilst passionate tends to be shared between two people mostly of the opposite sex to one another. There is having love for person and than there’s being ‘in love.’
What is the difference between liking someone and loving? Love isn’t something that just appears over night. Often you start of by liking someone and duration of time spent with that person & the more you get to know them that fondness can turn into love. Love is said to be “a strong positive emotion of regard and affection.” This type of love can be felt for family, friends and lovers. However, regarding friendships between two of the opposite sex, how can you tell when you love someone? Rubin’s theory explains that love is based on intimacy, dependence and support whereas liking is based on respect and similarity. Evolutionary theories suggest that ‘liking’ evolved to promote social co-operation and grouping for collective defence and hunting ensuring greater chances of survival. Also romantic/passionate love evolved to ensure mate selection, protection and copulation, to guarantee the survival of genes and human existence.