The role of loneliness, gender and love status in adolescents' love styles

Abstract

Three hundred fifteen adolescents were administered the Portuguese versions of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Love Attitudes Scale. Analyses showed that loneliness was negatively associated with Eros for males and females, and positively correlated with Ludus for males and with Pragma for females. Significant gender differences were found on Ludus, Storge, Pragma and Agape love styles. Males were more ludic, storgic, pragmatic, and agapic in their love styles than were females. Significant relationships were also found between love attitudes and current love status. Participants in love were more erotic, manic, and agapic than the participants not in love. The results indicated that falling in love is systematically related to broad changes in the most emotional love styles. © 2003 A B Academic Publishers.