What Do You Associate With Romantic Love?

Americans frequently cited "friendship" and "comfort/love" as requirements for romantic love, but Lithuanian and Russian participants either seldom or never mentioned these requirements, the study shows. CREDIT: stock.xchng View full size image

If you were asked to give 10 items that described romantic love, what would they be? Here's how others replied to a similar question.

In a new study published in the journal Cross-Cultural Research, scientists asked 1,157 adults from the United States, Russia and Lithuania to write in freelist form what they associated with romantic love.

[Read full story on how love differs between the nations]

Though respondents didn't use the exact same language to indicate, say, joy or being together, the scientists categorized list items that fell under the same meaning.

The top 5 items listed by Lithuanians and the percent who included the concept on their list:

1. Being together: 50 percent
2. Joy: 20 percent
3. Walk: 17.5 percent
4. Emotional upsurge: 17.5 percent
5. Happy: 16.25 percent
6. Kiss: 15 percent
7. Do things together: 11.25 percent
8. Temporary: 11.25 percent
9. Sex: 11.25 percent
10. Attention: 10 percent

Top 10 listed by Russians:

1. Being together: 45 percent
2. Sex: 25 percent
3. Walking: 24 percent
4. Unreal: 20 percent
5. Beach/sea: 19 percent
6. Joyful: 16 percent
7. Travel: 15 percent
8. Moon stars: 15 percent
9. Candlelight dinner: 10 percent
10. Night: 9 percent

Top 10 listed by U.S. participants:

1. Being together: 38 percent
2. Happy: 35 percent
3. Friendship: 27 percent
4. Mutual: 20 percent
5. Care: 13 percent
6. Love: 13 percent
7. Sex: 13 percent
8. Comfortable: 11 percent
9. Connection: 10 percent
10. Secure: 10 percent

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