This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Simpson, J. A. Articles by Berscheid, E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Simpson, J. A. Articles by Berscheid, E. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Association between Romantic Love and Marriage

Kephart (1967) Twice Revisited

University of Minnesota

Bruce Campbell

University of Minnesota

Ellen Berscheid

University of Minnesota

In the mid-1960s, college men and women held different views of the importance of romantic love as a necessary precondition to marriage (Kephart, 1967). Women, much more so than men, reported that the absence of romantic love would not necessarily deter them from contracting a marriage. In two investigations, conducted approximately 10 and 20 years after Kephart's survey, we reassessed the role that romantic love assumes in the establishment and maintenance of marital relationships. Our results reveal that (1) a vast majority of both men and women now view romantic love as a necessary prerequisite to establishing a marital relationship; (2) since the mid-1960s, a significantly larger percentage of both men and women now indicate that they would not marry someone unless they were in love with him or her; and (3) romantic love is perceived to play a critical role not only in the establishment of a marital relationship but in its maintenance as well. These findings are discussed in the context of the dramatic social changes that have occurred in American society since the time of Kephart's first survey, many of which have had especially profound effects on the lives of women.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 3, 363-372 (1986)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167286123011


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Madathil and J. M. Benshoff Importance of Marital Characteristics and Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of Asian Indians in Arranged Marriages and Americans in Marriages of Choice The Family Journal, July 1, 2008; 16(3): 222 - 230. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Strazdins and D. H. Broom Acts of Love (and Work): Gender Imbalance in Emotional Work and Women's Psychological Distress Journal of Family Issues, April 1, 2004; 25(3): 356 - 378. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. A. Meyers and E. Berscheid The Language of Love: The Difference a Preposition Makes Pers Soc Psychol Bull, April 1, 1997; 23(4): 347 - 362. [Abstract]

				R. Levine, S. Sato, T. Hashimoto, and J. Verma Love and Marriage in Eleven Cultures Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, September 1, 1995; 26(5): 554 - 571. [Abstract]

				A. E. Beall and R. J. Sternberg The Social Construction of Love Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, August 1, 1995; 12(3): 417 - 438. [Abstract]

				S. Sprecher and S. Metts Development of the `Romantic Beliefs Scale' and Examination of the Effects of Gender and Gender-Role Orientation Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, November 1, 1989; 6(4): 387 - 411. [Abstract]

				S. Metts, W. R. Cupach, and R. A. Bejlovec `I Love You Too Much to Ever Start Liking You': Redefining Romantic Relationships Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, August 1, 1989; 6(3): 259 - 274. [Abstract]