A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF LOVE IN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA: FINDING A COMMON CORE OF CHARACTERISTICS AND NATIONAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

Abstract

A fourteen-item Likert survey in Russia and the United States was used to discover if there is a common conception of romantic love and if there are national or gender variations. Evolutionary, cultural, and popular literature on love suggests that males and female differ in their conception of romantic love and its relation to sex. But what is the relationship (if any) in similarities and differences between these national cultures and between genders. Research results showed a strong overall agreement on a common core that includes altruism, intrusive thinking, and emotional fulfillment. Also, there were national and gender differences, with nation having a stronger effect on the conception of romantic love than does gender.