Romantic Love

A type of love in which intimacy and passion are prominent features. Although the loved party is often idealized, research indicates that the lover’s sexual arousal is an especially important component of this type of love. It is a motivational state typically associated with a desire for long-term mating with a particular individual. It occurs across the lifespan and is associated with distinctive cognitive, emotional, behavioral, social, genetic, neural, and endocrine activity in both sexes. Throughout much of the life course, it serves mate choice, courtship, sex, and pair-bonding functions. It is a suite of adaptations and by-products that arose sometime during the recent evolutionary history of humans. Compare with compassionate and companionate love.

Reference:

American Psychological Association (2018). APA Dictionary of Psychology – Romantic Love. https://dictionary.apa.org/romantic-love

Bode, A., & Kushnick, G. (2021). Proximate and ultimate perspectives on romantic love. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 573123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.573123