Journal of Relationships
Research
cambridge.org/jrr
Research Article
Cite this article: Soares L, Cruz O, Oliveira F,
Lucas CV, Neto F (2020). Psychosocial
Predictors of Love Satisfaction Among College
Students from Madeira. Journal of
Relationships Research 11, e6, 1–8. https://
doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
Received: 12 November 2019
Revised: 13 April 2020
Accepted: 5 May 2020
Keywords:
emotional loneliness; love satisfaction; love
styles; social loneliness; social support
Address for correspondence: Luísa Soares,
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of
Madeira, Campus da Penteada, 9000-390
Funchal, Portugal. Email: lsoares@uma.pt
© The Author(s), published by Cambridge
University Press on behalf of Australian
Academic Press Pty Ltd 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
Psychosocial Predictors of Love Satisfaction
Among College Students from Madeira
Luísa Soares1 , Orlanda Cruz2, Filipa Oliveira1, Carla V. Lucas1
and Félix Neto2
1
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira, Portugal and 2Faculty of Psychology and Education
Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
Abstract
This study examined three sets of psychosocial variables (love styles, perceived social support,
and social and emotional loneliness) as predictors of satisfaction with love life among 357 col-
lege students from Madeira (57% females). The participants completed four scales, including
the Love Attitudes Scale (LAS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Support (MSPSS), the
Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA-S), and the Satisfaction with Love Life Scale
(SWLLS). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensionality of the SWLLS
among college students in Madeira region. Overall, satisfaction with love life was significantly
predicted by indicators of love styles, perceived social support, and social and emotional lone-
liness, accounting respectively for 51%, 28%, and 60% of the variance being explained. The
study provided additional evidence of the importance of love styles, social support and lone-
liness in satisfaction with love life.
Love relationships are at the core of human life. Previous investigation has demonstrated that
being loved or having a loving relationship is of major importance for health (Nakhaie &
Arnold, 2010; Paxson & Shapiro, 2013) and wellbeing (Magyar-Moe, 2013; Salvatore &
Munoz Sastre, 2001). The purpose of this study is to examine the relations of love satisfaction
with other psychosocial constructs, such as love styles, social support, and loneliness in a sam-
ple of Portuguese university students from Madeira Island.
Love Satisfaction
Domain satisfaction is an under-researched topic in the field of subjective wellbeing (Bardo &
Yamashita, 2014). In particular, love satisfaction represents a relevant domain of satisfaction
with life and of subjective wellbeing more globally. Love satisfaction is a conspicuous ingredi-
ent of subjective wellbeing for most people (Salvatore & Munoz Sastre, 2001). Love satisfaction
is an important component of wellbeing for young people and is linked to various health and
educational outcomes (Graham, 2011; Neto, 2012b).
According to Shin and Johnson (1978), satisfaction with life constitutes ‘a global assess-
ment of a person’s quality of life according to his chosen criteria’ (p. 478). Satisfaction with
life is a component of subjective wellbeing (Diener, 1984). Pavot and Diener (2008, p. 140)
considered that ‘measures of life satisfaction are advantageous because they allow respondents
to determine their own criteria for inclusion in the judgment process, and to weight them in
the manner they choose’. In the same vein, satisfaction with love life reflects a cognitive judg-
ment of one’s satisfaction with his or her love life (Neto, 2005).
The Satisfaction With Love Life Scale (SWLLS) was developed to assess the global cognitive
judgments of people concerning satisfaction with their love lives, including five items (Neto,
2005). Construct validity of the scale was evaluated by means of principal component analysis,
resulting in one factor that accounted for 73.7% of the variance. The reliability of the SWLLS
displayed excellent internal consistency (α = .91) and the corrected item-total correlations were
higher than .60 for all items. Furthermore, as expected, SWLLS scores correlated significantly
with other measures of love and well-being.
In other samples with Portuguese college students, the SWLLS also demonstrated adequate
psychometric characteristics (e.g., Alves, 2012; Guedes, 2011). In another study, Neto and
Pinto (2015a) examined the psychometric properties of the SWLLS across the adult lifespan
and the confirmatory factor analysis supported the one-factor model of the SWLLS.
Furthermore, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were .90 or higher for the age groups (young
adults, adults, and older adults). The measurement invariance of the SWLLS was evaluated
among college students from Angola, Brazil, East Timor, Macao, and Portugal (Neto &
Dimitrova, 2017). A multigroup confirmatory analysis demonstrated a good fit of configural,
measurement weights and partial scalar invariance model, suggesting similar patterns and
 2 Luísa Soares et al.
strengths in factor loadings, means and intercepts across samples.
In this study, it was shown that the SWLLS could be used cross-
culturally with emerging adults in Angolan, Brazilian, Macanese,
Portuguese, and Timorese cultural contexts. Furthermore, the
SWLLS has already been adapted to Arabic (Nazzal, Cruz, &
Neto, 2019) and Spanish (Caycho-Rodriguez et al., 2020)
languages.
The Geographic Context of the Study
Madeira is a Portuguese autonomous region included in the
Outermost European Regions. Madeira has 267,000 inhabitants
and the university is 30 years old. Although this is a very touristic
island, with a gross domestic product per capita of 103% (above
the European average), it also has many economic discrepancies.
The students of Madeira University are mostly from families with
low incomes, and many of them have never left the island.
Although the university has some Erasmus mobility programs,
few students follow these programs. The students that may afford
to study outside the island are those with a family higher income.
In addition, a large number of secondary students do not go on to
study at university.
Soares, Lucas, Oliveira, Roque, and Cadima (2012) provided a
previous picture of psychological health in university students at
this university. They examined the incidence of mental health
problems and the psychological symptoms that are more preva-
lent using standardised measures, as well as the potential influ-
ence of selected socio-demographic variables. The results of this
study showed that there is not a big incidence of clinical symp-
tomatology. However, a considerable percentage of students
were suffering from minor psychiatric symptoms that were asso-
ciated with loneliness, and there was no correlation between lone-
liness and other socio-demographic variables. Women presented
slightly higher levels of somatic, anxious, obsessive-compulsive
and depressive symptoms, but the severity and amplitude of
this symptomatology was small. Women seem to have the ten-
dency to intensify their responses of distress, but also to minimise
the symptoms. These results are very similar to those reported in
the literature, which consider women more likely to show
increased evidence of emotional problems during higher educa-
tion (Fisher & Hood, 1987). Vaez and Laflamme (2002) found
that female college students reported greater psychosomatic
symptomology, reduced psychological wellbeing, and reduced
perceived health status compared with male students. They also
found that female students were significantly more likely to report
seeking and receiving care for psychological problems.
Wellbeing and Mental Health of University Students
A study from Mahmoud, Staten, Hall, and Lennie (2012) indicates
that young adult college students experience increased levels of
depression, anxiety, and stress. They examined the relative
importance of coping style, life satisfaction, and selected demo-
graphics in predicting undergraduates’ depression, anxiety, and
stress. A total of 508 full-time undergraduate students aged 18–
24 years completed the study measure. Mahmoud et al. concluded
that reducing maladaptive coping behaviours might have the most
positive impact on reducing depression, anxiety, and stress in this
population.
The greater the student’s involvement in college, the greater
will be the amount of student learning and personal development
(Astin, 1999). Students’ involvement could prevent loneliness and
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https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
its negative repercussions. Perceiving oneself as being loved, inde-
pendent, a personal agent of their own acts, and being responsible
is positively correlated with good levels of motivation and
achievement (Brockelman, 2009).
Data on love and life satisfaction in Portugal, and particularly
from the Madeira region, is scarce (Portuguese National Mental
Health Plan 2007–2016; Caldas de Almeida, 2009). Nevertheless,
available data suggest there are similarities regarding mental
health with other European countries (Organização Mundial
de Saúde/World Health Organization, 2011). A total of 40 quali-
tative studies were reviewed and coded according to the college
student stressors they represented. These studies applied a var-
iety of qualitative methods to examine stressors representing
the following themes: relationships, lack of resources, academics,
the environment, expectations, diversity, transitions, and other
stressors. Relationship stressors were the most commonly
reported theme and covered areas including stress associated
with family, romantic, peer and faculty relationships. Three of
the themes (relationships, diversity, and other) are novel cat-
egories of stressors compared with quantitative reviews on the
topic, highlighting the importance of gathering both quantitative
and qualitative pieces of information (Hurst, Baranik, & Daniel,
2012).
According to Auerbach et al. (2016), mental disorders could be
common among college students, with onsets that mostly occur
prior to college entry; in the case of prematriculation, disorders
are associated with college attrition and are typically untreated.
Detection and effective treatment of these disorders early in the
college career might reduce attrition and improve educational
and psychosocial functioning. In line with prior research, these
results indicate that prevention and intervention efforts with col-
lege students could explicitly target emotional intelligence skills in
an effort to reduce perceived rejection and promote student
wellbeing.
Physical affection types were variables we did not take into
consideration in this study, but were found to be highly correlated
with relationship and partner satisfaction (Gulledge, Gulledge, &
Stahmann, 2003). Another interesting study of Anderson and
Emmers-Sommer (2006) about predictors of relationship satisfac-
tion in online romantic relationships found that intimacy, trust,
and communication satisfaction were the strongest predictors of
relationship satisfaction for individuals involved in online
romances. Schade, Sandberg, Bean, Busby, and Coyne (2013)
studied the use of technology to connect in romantic relationships
and its effects on emerging adults’ attachment relationship satis-
faction and stability. They found that attachment behaviours
were universally associated with relationship satisfaction and sta-
bility for both men and women. Curiously, male texting frequency
was negatively associated, while female texting frequency was
positively associated with their own relationship stability scores.
So, texting to express affection was associated with high reported
partner attachment for both men and women.
In a recent study, Moeller, Seehuus, and Peisch (2020) found
that college students with high levels of emotional intelligence
reported better levels of belonging (feeling more inclusion and
less rejection), and these were associated with better mental
health. Emotional intelligence can be a protective factor for
depression anxiety and stress. Thus, emotional intelligence fore-
sees good relationships and mental health in university students.
Lopes, Brackett, and Nezlek (2004) likewise found positive rela-
tionships between the ability to manage emotions and the quality
of social interactions.
 Journal of Relationships Research 3

The Present Study and negatively correlated with satisfaction with love life across the
adult life span (Neto & Pinto, 2015a). Although there is empirical
This study aimed to explore three sets of psychosocial predictors
evidence about a negative relation between one aspect of loneli-
of love satisfaction: love styles, perceived social support, and social
ness and love satisfaction, a relevant limitation in previous studies
and emotional loneliness. Lee (1973) conceptualised a model of
is that no research has examined together the construct of loneli-
six love styles, with three primary styles and three secondary
ness from a multidimensional point of view in its relation with
styles. The primary styles included Eros (passionate, romantic
love satisfaction.
love), Ludus (game-playing love), and Storge (friendship-based
According to the above, three hypotheses on love satisfaction
love). Compounds of two primary styles formed the three second-
were tested.
ary styles: Pragma (practical love, a compound of Storge and
Ludus), Mania (possessive, dependent love, a compound of Eros
Hypothesis 1: It was expected that love styles would predict love
and Ludus), and Agape (altruistic love, a compound of Eros
satisfaction.
and Storge). Based on Lee’s (1973) model of love styles,
Hendrick and Hendrick (1986) developed a tool (Love Attitudes
Hypothesis 2: It was expected that perceived social support would
Scale [LAS]) to assess six ways in which partners experience
predict love satisfaction.
romantic love. The LAS was subjected to cross-cultural tests
(e.g., Neto, 1993; Neto et al., 2000) and the findings showed
Hypothesis 3: It was expected that loneliness would predict love
that the love styles evidenced among North American participants
satisfaction.
were also evidenced in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The issue of whether some love styles are related to higher sat-
isfaction with love life deserves to be scrutinised. There is some
evidence that love styles predict relationship satisfaction among Method
dating couples (Hendrick, Dicke, & Hendrick, 1998) and that
Eros and Agape love styles are more strongly related to love life Participants
satisfaction than others’ love styles among college students The sample included 357 participants, 57% female and 43% male.
(Neto, 2005; Neto & Pinto, 2015a). Two age groups were considered: 18–21 years (65%) and 22–27
In addition to love styles, we will also analyse the relationship years (35%). Thirty-one percent attended the first year of the uni-
of satisfaction with love life with social support and loneliness. versity, 34% attended the second year, and 35% attended the third
Social support is described as the support received from family year. Most of the participants were attending social sciences
members, friends, and other relationships. Previous investigation courses (80.0%).
showed that social support is associated with positive outcomes,
such as higher academic standing (Gerdes & Mallinckrodt,
1994), higher mental and physical health (Nakhaie & Arnold, Materials
2010), and higher wellbeing (Cohen, 2018; Diener & Four self-report scales, previously adapted or developed for a
Biswas-Diener, 2008). In particular, social support has been iden- Portuguese population were used. Furthermore, socio-
tified as being associated with satisfaction with life (e.g., Chen demographic questions pertaining to gender and age were asked.
et al., 2017; Epstein, 2000; Proctor, Linley, & Maltby, 2009).
Some studies have addressed the relationship between love and Satisfaction With Love Life Scale (SWLLS). The SWLLS (Neto,
social support (Furman & Simon, 1999). For example, it has 2005) includes five items. Respondents rate their degree of agree-
been shown that adolescent girls involved in a heterosexual rela- ment with the statements using a 7-point Likert-type scale from 1
tionship reported higher levels of perceived peer support than (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). A higher average score on
girls with no romantic involvement (Carter, Caldwell, Matusko, the SWLLS indicates greater love life satisfaction. The psychomet-
& Jackson, 2015). However, the relationship between social sup- ric characteristics displayed by the scale in previous studies were
port and love satisfaction has not yet been investigated. satisfactory (Neto, 2005; Neto & Pinto, 2015a).
Loneliness is a subjectively unpleasant and distressing feeling
with potentially negative psychological outcomes (Peplau &
Love Attitudes Scale (LAS). The 42-item LAS (Hendrick &
Perlman, 1982; Rokach & Neto, 2005). Most definitions of lone-
Hendrick, 1986) measures the six major love attitudes described
liness emphasise the perceived deficits that may prevail in rela-
by Lee (1973). Seven items measure each of the six love attitudes.
tionships. For example, Ascher and Paquette (2003, p. 75)
Respondents rate their degree of agreement with the statements
define loneliness as ‘the cognitive awareness of a deficiency in
using a 5-point Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5
one’s social and personal relationships, and ensuring affective
(strongly agree). Examples of the items are as follows: ‘In most
reactions of sadness, emptiness, or longing’. Weiss (1973) differ-
ways my love life is close to my ideal’ and ‘So far I have gotten
entiated emotional loneliness from social loneliness.
the important things I want in love life’. The higher the score
Subsequently, DiTommaso, Brannen, and Best (2004) separated
the more the individual embraced a particular love attitude.
emotional loneliness into two subtypes: romantic loneliness and
Examples of the items are as follows: ‘My lover and I have the
family loneliness. Loneliness is negatively related to life satisfac-
right physical “chemistry” between us’ (Eros), ‘I have sometimes
tion and happiness (e.g., Ben-Zur, 2012; Goodwin, Cook, &
had to keep two of my lovers from finding out about each
Yung, 2001; Mellor, Stokes, Firth, Hayashi, & Cummins, 2008;
other’ (Ludus), ‘Love is really a deep friendship, not a mysterious,
Moore & Schultz, 1984; Neto, 1993; Neto & Barros, 2003).
mystical emotion’ (Storge), ‘It is best to love someone with a simi-
Additionally, loneliness was found to be negatively correlated
lar background’ (Pragma), ‘When my lover doesn’t pay attention
with satisfaction with love life among college students (Neto,
to me, I feel sick all over’ (Mania), and ‘I am usually willing to
2005). In another study, romantic loneliness was also significantly
sacrifice my own wishes to let my lover achieve his/hers’

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https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
 4 Luísa Soares et al.

(Agape). There is a Portuguese version of this scale (Neto, 1994). Results

In the present study, Cronbach alphas were .87 for Eros, .67 for
Prior to testing the main hypotheses, the psychometric character-
Ludus, .75 for Storge, .78 for Pragma, .81 for Mania, and .80
istics of the SWLLS items were examined in the cultural context of
for Agape.
Madeira. Descriptive statistics of the SWLLS items are reported in
Table 1. Distributional properties of the scale were inspected to
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The
examine normality of the total scores. Skewness and kurtosis
MSPSS was developed by Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, and Farley
values between −2 and + 2 were assumed to indicate an acceptable
(1988) to assess support in three domains: family, friends, and
range to prove normal univariate distribution (George & Mallery,
significant others. It is a 12-item scale and participants are
2010).
asked to report the extent to which they agree with each item
CFA was estimated and tested with a one-factor structure
(e.g., ‘I get the emotional help and support I need from my fam-
based on the original study by Neto (2005). The goodness-of-fit
ily’) by means of a 7-point Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly dis-
indexes employed were the chi-square statistic, the goodness of
agree) to 7 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate higher
fit index (GFI), the comparative fit index (CFI), and the root
perceived social support. There is a Portuguese adaptation of
mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA). The χ2 statistic
this scale (Carvalho, Pinto-Gouveia, Pimentel, Maia, &
was 17.49 (df = 5) with the χ2/df ratio having a value of 3.50,
Mota-Pereira., 2011). In the present study, the MSPSS has
less than 5, which denotes an acceptable fit (Kline, 2005).
shown excellent internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of
Standardised factor loadings (λ) of the items ranged from .64 to
.93, .93, and .92, for family, friends, and significant others,
.88, and all were statistically significant ( p < .001), with a mean
respectively.
value of .74, higher than the recommended cut-off of .70 (Hair,
Anderson, Tatham, & Black, 2014). Figure 1 shows all standar-
Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults – Short version
dised loadings of the SWLLS. The values of the fit indices were
(SELSA-S). The SELSA-S (DiTommaso, Brannen, & Best, 2004)
satisfactory (GFI = 0.98, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.08; Bentler,
includes three subscales (five items each) that evaluate social lone-
1990). Regarding the diverse fit indexes of the present model,
liness, family loneliness, and romantic loneliness. Participants rate
the data closely fit the hypothesised model. Hence, the findings
their agreement with the items on a 7-point Likert-type scale from
support the one-factor model among college students of Madeira.
1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate
In order to examine the internal consistency of the SWLLS
more loneliness. The psychometric properties of the SELSA-S
scores, Cronbach’s coefficient alpha and item-total correlation
are satisfactory (DiTommaso et al., 2004). The SELSA-S was pre-
for each item were performed. Cronbach’s alpha (.95) for satisfac-
viously adapted to a Portuguese population (Fernandes & Neto,
tion with love life score was excellent. The corrected item-total
2009). The reliability of the adapted scale was satisfactory (social
correlations showed values from .74 to .91 (see Table 1). The
loneliness α = .71, family loneliness α = .71, and romantic loneli-
mean inter-item correlation coefficient was .78. Hence, these find-
ness α = .80). In the present study, Cronbach’s alpha was .83 for
ings provide good internal consistency for this sample.
social loneliness, .86 for family loneliness, and .79 for romantic
The average score of the SWLLS was 4.78. This result denotes
loneliness.
that satisfaction with love life is moderately high, and above the
neutral midpoint of 4.00 ( p < .01). As expected, males and
Procedure females did not differ significantly on the SWLLS scores, F(1,
356) = 1.52, p > .05. Two age groups were considered: 18–21
The questionnaires were administered during a regular class by a
years and 22–26 years. The younger group and the older group
trained psychology researcher using paper and pencil. The classes
did not differ significantly on the SWLLS scores, F(1, 323) = .17,
included 30 to 50 students. Participants were assured that partici-
p > .05.
pation was anonymous and voluntary, and that they could discon-
Means, standard deviations, and correlations between the
tinue their participation at any time. Informed consent was
SWLLS score and all other variables are shown in Table 2.
provided by the respondents. The questionnaires took approxi-
SWLLS score was positively correlated with Eros and Agape.
mately 25 minutes to complete.
The more erotic and agapic love styles participants revealed, the
more likely they were to be satisfied with their love life.
Data Analysis Furthermore, the SWLLS score was negatively correlated with
Ludus, Pragma, and Mania. The more ludic, pragmatic, and
Analyses performed on the data included confirmatory factor
manic love styles respondents displayed, the less likely they were
analysis (CFA), descriptive statistics, internal reliabilities, analysis
to be satisfied with their love life. As expected, the SWLLS
of variance, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple regressions. CFA
score was positively correlated with family support, friends’ sup-
was performed to determine whether the unidimensional struc-
port, and significant others’ support, and negatively correlated
ture of the SWLLS was supported. Descriptive statistics were con-
with social loneliness, family loneliness, and romantic loneliness.
ducted in order to portray the sample and the levels of love
The more perceived support from family, friends and significant
satisfaction, love styles, perceived social support, and social and
others, and less social loneliness, family loneliness and romantic
emotional loneliness. Internal reliabilities were assessed utilising
loneliness students evidenced, the more likely they were to be sat-
the Cronbach’s alpha. The analysis of variance allowed us to
isfied with their love life.
show possible gender differences in love satisfaction. The correla-
To test hypotheses 1, 2 and 3, multiple regression analyses
tions were used to evidence the existence of relationships between
using entered method were conducted to determine whether the
single predictor variables and love satisfaction. To evidence a
college students’ love satisfaction might be predicted by love
combination of factors affecting love satisfaction, regression mod-
styles, perceived social support, and social and emotional loneli-
els were performed. We used a significance level of .05 for all stat-
ness. Table 3 presents the results of the multiple regression
istical tests.

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 Journal of Relationships Research
Table 1. Descriptive statistics and corrected item-total correlation of the SWLLS among students
Items
1 In most ways my love life is close to my ideal.
2 The conditions of my love life are excellent.
3 I am satisfied with my love life
4 So far I have gotten the important things I want in love life.
5 If I could live my love life over, I would change almost nothing.
Fig. 1. Confirmatory factor analysis of the model.
model. Love styles, perceived social support, and social and emo-
tional loneliness were used as dependent variables. The variance
inflation factor (VIF) values were all below 10, and the tolerance
statistics above .20; hence, we can assume that there was no strong
collinearity within the possible predictors. Love styles explained
51% of the variance in love satisfaction. Eros (β = .58, p < .001),
Ludus (β = −.12, p < .01), Mania (β = −.17, p < .001), and Agape
(β = .19, p < .001) emerged as significant predictors of satisfaction
with love life. These findings supported the second hypothesis.
Perceived social support explained .28% of the variance in love
satisfaction. Significant others’ support (β = .55, p < .001) pre-
dicted significant satisfaction with love life. These findings sup-
ported the third hypothesis.
Finally, loneliness explained 60% of the variance in love satis-
faction. Social loneliness (β = −.09, p < .05) and romantic loneli-
ness (β = −.75, p < .001) predicted significant satisfaction with
love life. These findings supported the fourth hypotheses.
Discussion
Current results suggest that the SWLLS has satisfactory psycho-
metric characteristics in the cultural context of Madeira.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the SWLLS was performed to ana-
lyse whether the one-factor model was supported. Similar findings
were shown to those evidenced in the Portugal mainland (Neto,
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https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
5
M SD Skewness Kurtosis Corrected item total correlations
4.85 1.75 −.29 −1.06 .81
4.69 1.80 −.92 .51 .91
5.04 1.85 −.89 .39 .91
4.86 1.89 −.72 .18 .89
4.49 2.07 −.80 −.02 .74
2005). In the present sample, the unidimensionality of the
SWLLS was also supported. Regarding reliability, the internal
consistency coefficient was excellent. Adequate psychometric
characteristics of the SWLLS were also found in other studies
(e.g., Alves, 2012; Guedes, 2011; Neto & Dimitrova, 2017; Neto
& Pinto, 2015a).
Concerning the effect of gender on SWLLS scores, no signifi-
cant differences were found. This finding is in agreement with
prior results regarding love life satisfaction (Caycho-Rodriguez
et al., 2020; Neto & Dimitrova, 2017; Neto & Pinto, 2015a), as
well as with past research that showed no significant differences
in satisfaction with life between men and women (e.g., Diener
& Seligman, 2002; Inglehart, 1990) and in other domains of sat-
isfaction, such as satisfaction with sex life (Neto & Pinto, 2015b)
and satisfaction with migration life (Neto & Fonseca, 2016).
Furthermore, in the current study, we examined the relations
between love satisfaction and love styles, and perceived social sup-
port and loneliness in the Portuguese autonomous region of
Madeira. In agreement with previous research among university
students (Neto & Pinto, 2015b), love life satisfaction was posi-
tively predicted by Eros and Agape. An erotic orientation that dis-
plays strong physical attraction and emotional intensity predicted
love satisfaction more strongly than any other love style. An aga-
pic orientation that places the loved person’s wellbeing above
one’s own also predicted love satisfaction.
Ludus and Mania predicted negatively love satisfaction. The
ludic lovers are ‘often frustrated in adult life. They are unwilling
to commit themselves to love’ (Lee, 1988, p. 50). The current find-
ing is consonant with the past investigation among college stu-
dents evidencing that ludic lovers revealed unsatisfactory
relational experiences (Goodboy, Moran, & Booth-Butterfield,
2012). As pointed out by Hendrick and Hendrick (1992, p. 66),
‘Mania obsesses about the partner so much that there is no real
enjoyment of the relationship’. Accordingly, in the current
study, the manic love style involving possessiveness and jealousy
appeared to be associated with lower love satisfaction.
As expected, a set of measures of perceived social support were
significantly correlated with satisfaction with love life (SWLLS).
The more family support, friends’ support, and significant others’
support participants perceived, the more likely they were to be
satisfied with their love life. The directions of correlations were
consonant with the aforementioned expectations, and with previ-
ous research on life satisfaction (Chen et al., 2017; Proctor, Linley,
& Maltby, 2009). Significant others’ support strongly predicted
love satisfaction. Research has also shown that higher levels of
support in newlywed couples predicted higher relationship satis-
faction two years later (Pasch & Bradbury, 1998).
The present findings converge to show that social loneliness
and romantic loneliness significantly predicted love satisfaction.
The more social loneliness and romantic loneliness participants
 6 Luísa Soares et al.

Table 2. Descriptive statistics, coefficient alphas, range, and Pearson product moment correlation coefficients of satisfaction with love life with variables of the
study

M SD Alpha Range r Pearson (SWLLS)

Satisfaction with love life 4.78 1.69 .95 1–7 –

Eros 3.69 .87 .87 1–5 .66***
Ludus 2.22 .70 .67 1–5 −.24***
Storge 3.58 .72 .75 1–5 .10
Pragma 2.83 .80 .78 1–5 −.11*
Mania 2.43 85 .81 1–5 −.14*
Agape 3.33 .80 .80 1–5 38***
Family support 5.85 1.23 .93 1–7 .23***
Friends’ support 5.77 1.09 .93 1–7 .24***
Significant others’ support 5.97 1.25 .92 1–7 .53***
Social loneliness 2.30 1.09 .83 1–7 −.25***
Family loneliness 2.16 1.20 .79 1–7 −.21**
Romantic loneliness 3.31 1.56 .86 1–7 −.77***
Note: SWLLS, Satisfaction with Love Life Scale. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Table 3. Multiple linear regressions of satisfaction with love life onto love styles, (DiTommaso et al., 2004). In summary, the pattern of predictors
perceived social support, and social and emotional loneliness of satisfaction with love life that includes love styles, perceived
social support, and social and emotional loneliness is consonant
Variable B SE B t p with predictions.
(Constant) .45 53 .85 .40
There were several methodological limitations that should
be noted in this study. First, the sample of this research was of
Eros 1.14 .09 .58 13.44 <.001 convenience comprising only college students. Hence, it was not
Ludus −.30 .10 −.12 2.99 .01 a representative sample of Madeira. Second, this study was
developed with a cross-sectional design and therefore causal
Storge .06 .10 .03 .63 .92
explanations cannot be determined. To solve this limitation, lon-
Pragma .01 .09 .01 .11 .92 gitudinal works should be conducted to replicate the findings.
Mania −.34 .08 −.17 4.18 <.001 Third, in this study, self-reported measures were used, thus
there is the possibility of a response bias. Future research could
Agape .42 .09 .19 4.18 <.001
use multiple methods (e.g., collect data from partners). Despite
R 2
.52 these limitations, the current data suggests that the SWLLS, a
R adjusted
2
.51 brief psychometrically sound instrument, can also be used for
both research and clinical purposes in this particular Madeira cul-
(Constant) .74 .49 1.51 .13
tural context (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013).
Family support .01 .07 .01 .01 .99 Considering that university students are in a developmental
Friends’ support −.07 .09 −.04 .79 .43 transition of life challenges in terms of academic goals, lifespan
goals, psychological development and also romantic relationships,
Significant others’ .74 .08 .55 9.86 <.001
support it is imperative to prevent mental health problems. This study
provides some evidence about psychosocial variables that are
R2 .28 associated with satisfaction with love life during this life stage.
R adjusted
2
.28 Psychological counselling services at universities should be alert
(Constant) 7.79 .17 44.86 <.001
and work towards helping students to build positive relations
with peers and love relations with partners. Human beings grow
Social loneliness −.13 .06 −.09 2.26 .02 when they are in relation with others. According to Neto
Family loneliness −.04 .06 −.03 .71 .48 (2012a), those who experience high levels of compassionate love
Romantic loneliness −.79 .04 −.75 20.67 <.001
for a romantic partner are more likely to report Eros and altruistic
love (Agape), and subjective wellbeing.
R2 .61 In terms of prevention and consultation services with univer-
R 2 adjusted .60 sity students, the results of this study show that satisfactory
romantic relationships are related to attitudes towards love (there-
fore it is necessary to understand and focus on the university stu-
displayed, the less likely they were to be satisfied with their love dents’ concept of what a romantic relationship is), the support of
life. This is consistent with past work revealing that lower loneli- others significant (understand romantic couple) and (negatively)
ness was associated with involvement in a romantic relationship social and romantic loneliness. Thus, the contributions of this

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https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2020.4
 Journal of Relationships Research
study are more likely to benefit people working with university
students, namely the importance of working on attitudes and
social support, turning around loneliness.
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