The Three Faces of Love: College Students' Perception of the Spouse, Date and Cross-sex Friend

Jayanti Basu and Rajyasri Ray
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Jayanti Basu: Department of Applied Psychology, Calcutta University, India
Rajyasri Ray: Department of Psychology, Calcutta University, India

Psychology and Developing Societies, 2000, vol. 12, issue 2, 177-213

Abstract: The present article explored the perception of spouse, date and cross-sex friend among the college-going youth. Six demographical, 14 physical and 25 psychological characteristics were selected from a larger number of traits generated in a preliminary study on 200 college students. In the final study these traits were presented to 240 college students who rated them in terms of their desirability in either a spouse, or a date or a cross-sex friend. Responses to the demographical variables were obtained on a multiple-choice response format with qualitative categories. The physical and psychological characteristics were assessed through responses to the items on five-point Likert-type scale. Results indicated that women put greater emphasis on demographical features and psychological characteristics, while men emphasised physical traits. Perception of the wife by the men was a combination of sex object and nurturing object, while a date was a companion without much commitment. For the women a husband and a date possessed overlapping characteristics, dates having greater sexual appeal. Cross-sex friends for both sexes shared some characteristics of spouse and date in less intensity. Results have been interpreted in terms of the evolutionary versus learning model of love.

Date: 2000
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:psydev:v:12:y:2000:i:2:p:177-213

DOI: 10.1177/097133360001200205

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