Decoding Love: Unveiling four Distinct Romantic Styles

new research published in Personality adn Individual Differences sheds light on the multifaceted nature of romantic love, categorizing lovers into four distinct groups. This groundbreaking study, conducted in February 2025, challenges the notion that love is a one-size-fits-all experience, revealing a spectrum of romantic expression.

The Four Categories of Lovers

The study, led by Adam Bode, a biological anthropology PhD candidate at Australian National University, identified these four “clusters” of lovers based on intensity of romantic love, obsessive thinking, commitment, and sexual frequency:

• Mild Romantic: This group, comprising about 20% of those surveyed, is characterized by “the lowest intensity, lowest obsessive thinking, lowest commitment, and lowest frequency of sex.” Only about 25% felt their partner was “definitely” in love with them, and only about 83% reported engaging in sexual activity.
• Moderate Romantic: this was not detailed further in the provided text.
• Intense Romantic: Representing nearly 30% of respondents, these individuals are the epitome of being “crazy in-love,” exhibiting “the highest intensity, highest obsessive thinking, highest commitment, and relatively high frequency of sex.” A significant portion of this group was female.
• Libidinous Romantic: This category,making up roughly 10% of participants,reported exceptionally high sexual activity,averaging “10 times a week and up to 20 times.” They were described as having “relatively high intensity, relatively high obsessive thinking, relatively high commitment, and exceptionally high frequency of sex.” Men were slightly more prevalent in this group.

Defining Romantic Love

Bode defines romantic love as “a motivational state typically associated with a desire for long-term mating with a particular individual” and one “that arose some time during the recent evolutionary history of humans.” He elaborates that “it occurs across the lifespan and is associated with distinctive cognitive, emotional, behavioural, social, genetic, neural, and endocrine activity in both sexes. Throughout much of the life course, it serves mate choice, courtship, sex, and pair-bonding functions.” Bode acknowledges that this definition is “not perfect” but considers it “the scientifically most useful and most precise.”

Methodology: The Romantic Love survey 2022

The researchers analyzed data from the Romantic Love Survey 2022, a large-scale dataset of over 1,500 people. The study focused on 809 participants aged 18 to 25 across 33 countries who self-identified as being in love. this approach allowed for the identification of the four distinct clusters based on their reported experiences.

Implications and Future Research

The study highlights that “we don’t all love the same”. Understanding these different expressions of romantic love has implications for relationship dynamics and expectations. Future research may explore how these love styles evolve over time, their variations across cultures and ethnicities, and the impact of gender and sexual orientation. Bode suggests that “it might ‘be fruitful’ to further explore variables of sex, gender and sexual orientation, as well as the impact on mood of romantic love, and its effect on relationships over time.”

Researchers measured the intensity of romantic love utilizing the passionate Love Scale (PLS), a “robust measure of the cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics of romantic love” used cross-culturally, developed in 1986. This standardized tool aided in objectively assessing and categorizing different levels of romantic passion among participants.

The Evolutionary Perspective

Bode emphasizes that “romantic love is under-researched given its importance in family and romantic relationship formation, its influence on culture, and its proposed universality and we want to help world researchers understand it.” He also noted that, “These findings have implications for the evolution of romantic love” and that “Humans may still be evolving in terms of how they express [it].” This suggests that our understanding and expression of love are not static but are continuously shaped by evolutionary pressures.

Practical Takeaways

• Self-Awareness: recognizing your own romantic style can help you understand your needs and expectations in a relationship.
• Relationship Compatibility: Understanding your partner’s love style can foster empathy and improve communication.
• Realistic Expectations: Accepting that there are different ways to express love can reduce conflict and enhance relationship satisfaction.

Conclusion: Embracing the diversity of Love

This research underscores the diverse and evolving nature of romantic love, demonstrating that there’s no single “right” way to experience it. By recognizing and appreciating these different love styles, individuals can foster healthier, more fulfilling relationships. Are you curious to discover your own love style and how it impacts your relationships? Consider reflecting on your experiences with intensity,obsession,commitment,and intimacy.