The Prevalence and Nature of Unrequited Love

Robert G. Bringle, Terri Winnick and Robert J. Rydell

SAGE Open, 2013, vol. 3, issue 2, 2158244013492160

Abstract: Unrequited love (UL) is unreciprocated love that causes yearning for more complete love. Five types of UL are delineated and conceptualized on a continuum from lower to greater levels of interdependence: crush on someone unavailable, crush on someone nearby, pursuing a love object, longing for a past lover, and an unequal love relationship. Study 1a found all types of UL relationships to be less emotionally intense than equal love and 4 times more frequent than equal love during a 2-year period. Study 1b found little evidence for limerent qualities of UL. Study 2 found all types of UL to be less intense than equal love on passion, sacrifice, dependency, commitment, and practical love, but more intense than equal love on turmoil. These results suggest that UL is not a good simulation of true romantic love, but an inferior approximation of that ideal.

Keywords: unrequited love; interdependence; love; friendship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:3:y:2013:i:2:p:2158244013492160

DOI: 10.1177/2158244013492160

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