Scientific Reports (Jan 2023)

Modernization, collectivism, and gender equality predict love experiences in 45 countries

  • Piotr Sorokowski,
  • Marta Kowal,
  • Robert J. Sternberg,
  • Toivo Aavik,
  • Grace Akello,
  • Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba,
  • Charlotte Alm,
  • Naumana Amjad,
  • Afifa Anjum,
  • Kelly Asao,
  • Chiemezie S. Atama,
  • Derya Atamtürk Duyar,
  • Richard Ayebare,
  • Daniel Conroy-Beam,
  • Mons Bendixen,
  • Aicha Bensafia,
  • Boris Bizumic,
  • Mahmoud Boussena,
  • David M. Buss,
  • Marina Butovskaya,
  • Seda Can,
  • Antonin Carrier,
  • Hakan Cetinkaya,
  • Ilona Croy,
  • Rosa María Cueto,
  • Marcin Czub,
  • Daria Dronova,
  • Seda Dural,
  • Izzet Duyar,
  • Berna Ertugrul,
  • Agustín Espinosa,
  • Ignacio Estevan,
  • Carla Sofia Esteves,
  • Tomasz Frackowiak,
  • Jorge Contreras Garduño,
  • Karina Ugalde González,
  • Farida Guemaz,
  • Mária Halamová,
  • Iskra Herak,
  • Marina Horvat,
  • Ivana Hromatko,
  • Chin-Ming Hui,
  • Jas Laile Jaafar,
  • Feng Jiang,
  • Konstantinos Kafetsios,
  • Tina Kavčič,
  • Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair,
  • Nicolas Kervyn,
  • Truong Thi Khanh Ha,
  • Imran Ahmed Khilji,
  • Nils C. Köbis,
  • Aleksandra Kostic,
  • Hoang Moc Lan,
  • András Láng,
  • Georgina R. Lennard,
  • Ernesto León,
  • Torun Lindholm,
  • Trinh Thi Linh,
  • Giulia Lopez,
  • Nguyen Van Luot,
  • Alvaro Mailhos,
  • Zoi Manesi,
  • Rocio Martinez,
  • Sarah L. McKerchar,
  • Norbert Meskó,
  • Marija Pejičić,
  • Girishwar Misra,
  • Conal Monaghan,
  • Emanuel C. Mora,
  • Alba Moya-Garófano,
  • Bojan Musil,
  • Jean Carlos Natividade,
  • George Nizharadze,
  • Elisabeth Oberzaucher,
  • Anna Oleszkiewicz,
  • Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee,
  • Ike E. Onyishi,
  • Baris Özener,
  • Ariela Francesca Pagani,
  • Vilmante Pakalniskiene,
  • Miriam Parise,
  • Farid Pazhoohi,
  • Annette Pisanski,
  • Katarzyna Pisanski,
  • Edna Ponciano,
  • Camelia Popa,
  • Pavol Prokop,
  • Muhammad Rizwan,
  • Mario Sainz,
  • Svjetlana Salkičević,
  • Ruta Sargautyte,
  • Ivan Sarmány-Schuller,
  • Susanne Schmehl,
  • Anam Shahid,
  • Shivantika Sharad,
  • Razi Sultan Siddiqui,
  • Franco Simonetti,
  • Meri Tadinac,
  • Christin-Melanie Vauclair,
  • Luis Diego Vega,
  • Kathryn V. Walter,
  • Dwi Ajeng Widarini,
  • Gyesook Yoo,
  • Marta Zaťková,
  • Maja Zupančič,
  • Agnieszka Sorokowska

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26663-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Recent cross-cultural and neuro-hormonal investigations have suggested that love is a near universal phenomenon that has a biological background. Therefore, the remaining important question is not whether love exists worldwide but which cultural, social, or environmental factors influence experiences and expressions of love. In the present study, we explored whether countries’ modernization indexes are related to love experiences measured by three subscales (passion, intimacy, commitment) of the Triangular Love Scale. Analyzing data from 9474 individuals from 45 countries, we tested for relationships with country-level predictors, namely, modernization proxies (i.e., Human Development Index, World Modernization Index, Gender Inequality Index), collectivism, and average annual temperatures. We found that mean levels of love (especially intimacy) were higher in countries with higher modernization proxies, collectivism, and average annual temperatures. In conclusion, our results grant some support to the hypothesis that modernization processes might influence love experiences.