Young People’s individual representations of love – validation of a new scale

Abstract

Love is the most widespread phenomenon at the individual, social and cultural level. Our knowledge of love comes both from our individual experiences and the social and cultural models that depict the nature of love in that particular era. There are a number of tools for measuring individual attitudes, feelings, manifestations, and behaviours relating to love. The Individual Representations of Love Scale is based on the fact that representations of love are created at the point where the individual intersects with the culture. The psychometric parameters of the Individual Representations of Love Scale were verified on a sample of 755 young people aged 18-35. Cultural resources and differentiation ability with regard to religious status, gender, and multiple partner relationship characteristics are taken into account. The results show that there are five factors of individual representations of love: 1. biological and selfcentred love, 2. spiritual love, 3. physical love, commitment, searching and building, 4. strength and positive benefits of love, and 5. reverse side of love. The cultural resources of these five factors and the scale’s differentiation ability are discussed.