Editing Triangular theory of love (section)

== Elaboration ==
Sternberg's triangular theory of love was developed after the identification of passionate love and companionate love. Passionate love is focused on the present at the onset of a relationship, while companionate love endures and grows over time with deep meanings in that relationship. Both are different kinds of love but are connected in relationships.<ref>Wang, A. Y., & Nguyen, H. T. (1995). Passionate love and anxiety: A cross-generational study. ''The Journal of Social Psychology, 135''(4), 459.  {{doi|10.1080/00224545.1995.9712215}}</ref>

Passionate love is associated with strong feelings of love and desire for a specific person. This love is full of excitement and novelty. Passionate love is important in the beginning of the relationship and typically lasts 3-12 months. There is a chemical component to passionate love; those experiencing it enjoy an increase in the neurotransmitters [[phenylethylamine]] and oxytocin. There is empirical research, particularly from linking love to the opioid circuit in the brain.<ref name="Levy, P. E. 2013 pp. 316-317" /> These feelings are most commonly found in the most early stages of love.

Companionate love follows passionate love. Companionate love is also known as affectionate love. When a couple reaches this level of love, they feel mutual understanding and care for each other. This love is important for the survival of the relationship.<ref name="Levy, P. E. 2013 pp. 316-317">{{cite book |last=Levy |first=P. E. |year=2013 |title=Industrial Organizational Psychology |edition=4th |location=New York |publisher=Worth |pages=316–317 |isbn=9781429242295 }}</ref> This type of love comes later on in the relationship and requires a certain level of knowledge in each person in the relationship.

Sternberg created his triangle next. The triangle's points are intimacy, passion, and commitment.

Intimate love is the corner of the triangle that encompasses the close bonds of loving relationships. Intimate love felt between two people means that they each feel a sense of high regard for the other. They wish to make each other happy, share with each other, be in communication with each other, help when one is in need. Two people with intimate love deeply value each other.<ref name="Levy, P. E. 2013 pp. 316-317"/> Intimate love has been called the "warm" love because of the way it brings two people close together. Sternberg predicted that intimacy levels would decline in longer relationships, but this was not borne out in a later study.<ref name="Acker, M. 1992">{{cite journal |last1=Acker |first1=M. |last2=Davis |first2=M. |title=Intimacy, passion, and commitment in adult romantic relationships: a test of the triangular theory of love |journal=Journal of Social and Personal Relationships |volume=9 |year=1992 |issue=1 |pages=21–50 |doi=10.1177/0265407592091002 |s2cid=143485002 }}</ref>

Passionate love is based on drive. Couples in passionate love feel physically attracted to each other. Sexual desire is typically a component of passionate love. Passionate love is not limited to sexual attraction, however. It is a way for couples to express feelings of nurture, dominance, submission, self-actualization, etc.<ref name="Levy, P. E. 2013 pp. 316-317"/> Passionate love is considered the "hot" component of love because of the strong presence of arousal between two people. Sternberg believed that passionate love would diminish as the positive force of the relationship is taken over by opposite forces. This idea comes from Solomon's [[Opponent-process theory|opponent-force theory]]. But the study mentioned earlier found this to be true only for females.<ref name="Acker, M. 1992"/>

Commitment, or committed love, is that of lovers who are committed to being together for a long period of time. Something to note about commitment, however, is that one can be committed to someone without feeling the other two loves for him or her, and one can feel the other two loves for someone without being committed to him or her.<ref name="Levy, P. E. 2013 pp. 316-317"/> Commitment is considered to be the "cold" love because it does not require either intimacy or passion. Sternberg believed that committed love increases in intensity as the relationship grows.<ref name="Acker, M. 1992"/> Commitment can be present with friends as well.

Sternberg believed love to progress and evolve in predictable ways—that all couples in love will experience intimate, passionate, and committed love in the same patterns.<ref name="Acker, M. 1992"/>

Although these types of love may contain qualities that exist in non-loving relationships, they are specific to loving relationships. A description of non-love is listed below, along with the other kinds of love. These kinds of love are combinations of one or two of the three corners of Sternberg's triangle of love.