The triangular theory of love.

The triangular theory of love holds that love can be understood in terms of three components that
together can be viewed as forming the vertices of a triangle. These 3 components are intimacy,
passion and commitment.

Intimacy.
intimacy refers to feelings of closeness, connectedness and bonding in loving relationships. It
includes those feelings that give rise to the experience of warmth, in a loving relationship.

Passion.
Passion refers to the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, and loving relationships. The
passion component includes sources of motivational and other forms of arousal that are
experienced in a loving relationship

Commitment
This refers to the decision that one loves a certain other and in the long term to one’s commitment
to maintain that love. The aspect of commitment does not necessarily mean that one is passionate
about the other. One can be committed to a relationship without acknowledging that one loves the
other person in a relationship.
Dissolution of a relationship

1. The intra psychic phase starts as a period of brooding with perhaps the hope of putting things
right. This can give way to the partner seeking out a third party to be able to express one’s concerns.

2. The dyadic phase leads to the point of deciding that some action should be taken which is usually
easier said than done. Arguments point to differences in attributing responsibility for what is going
wrong. With luck, they may talk their problems through.

3. The social phase involves a new element: partners may negotiate with friends both for support for
an uncertain future and for reassurance of being right. The social network will probably take sides,
pronounce on guilt and blame and like a court, sanction the dissolution.

4. The grave-dressing phase can involve more than leaving a partner. It may include the division of
property, access to children and working to assure one’s reputation. Each partner wants to emerge
with a self-image of reliability for a future relationship.