Triangular Love Test (STLS)

This test is based on the triangular theory of love, proposed by psychologist Robert J. Sternberg in a 1986 paper in Psychological Review and later operationalized through his Triangular Love Scale (STLS), whose construct validation was published in 1997. According to the theory, love is not a single feeling but a triangle with three distinct sides: intimacy, passion, and commitment. Each side can be strong or weak in a given relationship, and it is the particular blend of the three that gives every bond its character.

Intimacy is the warmth of love - the closeness, trust, and sense of connection that let two people share themselves openly. Passion is the heat of love - the attraction, romance, and physical excitement that draw partners together and keep the spark alive. Commitment is the decision of love - in the short term the choice to love another person, and in the long term the resolve to maintain that love through time and difficulty. The three components develop on their own timelines and can shift independently as a relationship matures.

The real power of the model lies in the combinations. Intimacy on its own is liking, the warmth of a close friendship. Passion on its own is infatuation, the rush of love at first sight. Commitment on its own is empty love, a bond held together by decision rather than feeling. Intimacy and passion together make romantic love; intimacy and commitment together make companionate love, the steady affection of long-married couples; passion and commitment together make fatuous love, the whirlwind courtship that commits before intimacy has had time to grow. When all three sides burn at once, the result is what Sternberg called consummate love - the complete form that many couples aspire to and few sustain without ongoing effort.

Research using triangular love measures has traced how the three components move over the life of a relationship. Passion tends to rise quickly and then cool, while intimacy and commitment build more slowly and prove more durable, which helps explain why the texture of a long relationship differs so much from its early months. Large cross-cultural studies have since shown that the triangular structure of love replicates across more than 25 countries and many languages, suggesting the three components capture something close to universal in how human beings experience love. Studies also link higher scores on all three sides to greater relationship satisfaction, though no single component tells the whole story on its own.

The comparison markers shown on your results chart are estimates, not validated percentiles. They were rescaled from published Triangular Love Scale samples, in which adults in ongoing romantic relationships tend to score high on all three components - typically around 76% on intimacy, 69% on passion, and 74% on commitment, with commitment and intimacy usually edging out passion. They are offered only to give your own profile a rough point of reference, not to rank you against a validated norm.

This test is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a diagnostic instrument, does not provide relationship advice, and is not affiliated with Robert J. Sternberg or Cornell University. Your component scores describe how your relationship feels to you right now; they are not a verdict on its future. If you have concerns about your relationship or your well-being, consider speaking with a qualified professional.

References

• Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119-135.
• Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Construct validation of a triangular love scale. European Journal of Social Psychology, 27(3), 313-335.
• Sorokowski, P., et al. (2021). Universality of the triangular theory of love: Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Triangular Love Scale in 25 countries. The Journal of Sex Research, 58(1), 106-115.