Over the last several decades, researchers of love have shifted from Lee’s comprehensive understanding of “love styles” to Hendrick’s variable-driven “love attitudes” for psychometric convenience—and in the process, lost the rich, hierarchical structure of individual orientations in love. This synthesis … Continue reading
Author Archives: Victor Karandashev
Exploring Love Styles Through Narratives: Revisiting J. Lee’s Original Method
How John Alan Lee’s Card Interview Technique Can Restore Depth to Research on Love. In the 1970s, sociologist John Alan Lee transformed relationship research with a groundbreaking, interactive “Love Story Card Sort.” Over the decades, however, his narrative method was … Continue reading
How Cultural Ideologies Framed Modern Styles of Love
Why do we love the way we do? While contemporary psychology often treats love styles as individual traits, Canadian sociologist John Alan Lee recognized deeper roots of the way we love. It appears that our personal experiences of love are … Continue reading
John Lee’s Typology of Love Styles: The Original Theory Explained
What are the different types of love? Since the middle of the 20th century, the typology of love has been an interesting topic of inquiry for many people and love researchers. Scholars of love have proposed many different types of … Continue reading
Aphrodisiacs: What They Are and How They Affect Sexual Love
PDF Version. Do aphrodisiacs truly enhance sexual love, or is their power entirely psychological? While historical folklore and modern consumer packaging promise heightened intimacy, clinical research urges a balanced perspective. Discover the cultural history, modern classification, and biochemical mechanisms behind … Continue reading
Aphrodisiacs and Sexual Love Across Cultures: Traditions and Modern Science
PDF Version. For centuries and in many different cultures around the world, men and women have utilized aphrodisiacs to enhance sexual attraction, arousal, and sexual relationships. This article traces the evolution of cultural traditions of medical intervention and sexual mysticism. … Continue reading
The Spectrum of Sex and Sexual Love in the “Kamasutra”
PDF Version. Why do we love the way we sex, and sex the way we love? Modern pop culture often considers that the ancient Kamasutra is merely a catalog of sexual practices. Actually, its text presents the art of love … Continue reading
What Is Sexual Love? Why It Is Far More Than Just Sex
PDF Version. Researchers and laypeople often view sex and sexual love as synonyms—but psychology depicts us a more complex picture. While sexual drive satisfies a biological need, sexual love transforms the experience by engaging the entire individuals. Let’s explore real … Continue reading
How Culture Shapes Sexual Love and Its Lexicon
PDF Version. Is sexual desire a universal biological drive or merely a cultural construct? Although the evolutionary biology of human sexual desire is substantially similar, the linguistic and psychological frameworks people use to understand sexual attraction and desire vary significantly. … Continue reading
The Invention of L’Amour à la Française: How the French Cultivated Romantic Passion
PDF Version. Passion might be hardwired into our biology, but how we love is entirely learned from culture. Here is the true story of how French culture “invented” modern romantic love—L’Amour à la Française—and its lexicon, like rendezvous, tête-à-tête, amour … Continue reading