Dating Preferences Choice in Romantic Research Paper

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Finally, Lee describes the agape style, characterized by selflessness and sacrifice and a fundamental approach to relationships that emphasizes providing the love and benefits of the relationship that they believe everyone deserves (Hahn & Blass, 1997). They are not preoccupied with any particular "type" of potential partner and tend to be extremely supportive, patient, honest, and not jealous or highly emotionally charged (Hahn & Blass, 1997).

The Significance of Different Types of Relationships on Partner Preference

As helpful as Lee's six love styles are to understanding choice and behavior in intimate human relationships, that analysis does not take into account the degree to which individuals (regardless of their primary stylistic orientation in Lee's terms) sometimes engage in very different kinds of relationships. Presumably, Lee's stylistic analysis pertains mainly to romantic pair bonds such as potential marriage partners and dating partners but not necessarily to casual-sex partners or platonic friendships.

In that regard, it is highly conceivable that an individual whose primary stylistic love orientation is pragma or storge (for example) might apply much different criteria (or none at all) to casual-sex relationships in the event they ever participate in them than the preferences or styles they apply in relation to potentially romantic relationships. In principle, it is entirely possible for an individual with a highly pragma-based orientation to establish casual-sex relationships strictly based on physical attraction or merely the opportunity for sexual release. Naturally, that is especially true of males in any society that maintains a gender-based sexual double standard that does not stigmatize this type of activity, even glorifying it in many ways.

Sprecher and Regan (2002) determined that the nature of the type of relationship at issue does indeed play a very significant role in the degree to which individuals apply specific stylistic preferences and objective criteria. Their empirical study is completely consistent with intuitive expectation that individuals contemplating a romantic relationship (especially in connection with any thoughts of marriage) would apply entirely different standards and preferences to prospective partners for those kinds of relationships than they would in connection with platonic friendships and casual-sex partners.

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Generally, the implication of Sprecher and Regan's work is that Lee's stylistic characterizations apply substantially more to potential romantic relationships than to other types of relationships.

The Role of Attachment Theory in Intimate Human Relationships

In many respects, the final important piece of the puzzle for understanding selection and behavioral tendencies within intimate human relationships is provided by attachment theory. Specifically, the nature and quality of the maternal-infant bond, particularly in infancy and early childhood plays an extremely important role in "priming" the individual for attachment styles within subsequent relationships (Sprecher & Regan, 2002).

In principle, infants whose mothers fail to provide a sense of security and emotional stability tend to develop anxiety about their self-worth and expectations of abandonment and disappointment within their subsequent relationships (Sprecher & Regan, 2002). Naturally, since Lee's stylistic characteristics incorporate aspects of obsession, jealousy, and need for emotional intimacy and reassurance, attachment theory is helpful in differentiating stylistic tendencies in Lee's framework from pathological issues attributable to attachment issues rather than to elements of Lee's styles.

Conclusion

Taken individually, each of these three perspectives for analyzing human choices and tendencies in intimate relationships contributes a valuable piece of a very complex puzzle. However, in combination, it is likely that each provides a sufficient explanation of different major aspects of human pair bonding choices that their simultaneous application allows for a substantially comprehensive view of intimate human relationships that allows a much more clear understanding of the topic than an isolated application of any of those conceptual frameworks in isolation. Ultimately, the simultaneous application of these three views make the topic of dating preference more objectively comprehensible than may typically be imagined, even within the ranks of psychological professionals......

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