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MENTAL MODEL · M10159

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
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Updated 2026-08-13

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Sternberg's theory that love has three components: intimacy, the emotional closeness between partners; passion, the romantic and physical attraction; and commitment, the deliberate decision to maintain the relationship long-term. The presence or absence of each component yields eight named kinds of love. When all three are present the result is consummate love, while configurations missing components fall into types such as empty love or infatuation.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Diagnoses relationship state: scoring each of the three components shows exactly which dimension is weak or absent - Targets improvement: low intimacy and low commitment call for genuinely different remedies - Clarifies mismatch: partners with different component profiles can name the gap between them explicitly

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Anchor fast decisions

Love is structured into three components whose combinations produce distinct types, such as infatuation without intimacy or empty love held up by commitment alone. Structuring love this way converts a diffuse feeling into three separable variables, each of which can be assessed independently and acted on with a matching remedy rather than a generic effort.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_theory_of_loveZH · Explicit
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