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:
- Being together: 50 percent
- Joy: 20 percent
- Walk: 17.5 percent
- Emotional upsurge: 17.5 percent
- Happy: 16.25 percent
- Kiss: 15 percent
- Do things together: 11.25 percent
- Temporary: 11.25 percent
- Sex: 11.25 percent
- Attention: 10 percent
Top 10 listed by Russians:
- Being together: 45 percent
- Sex: 25 percent
- Walking: 24 percent
- Unreal: 20 percent
- Beach/sea: 19 percent
- Joyful: 16 percent
- Travel: 15 percent
- Moon stars: 15 percent
- Candlelight dinner: 10 percent
- Night: 9 percent
Top 10 listed by U.S. participants:
- Being together: 38 percent
- Happy: 35 percent
- Friendship: 27 percent
- Mutual: 20 percent
- Care: 13 percent
- Love: 13 percent
- Sex: 13 percent
- Comfortable: 11 percent
- Connection: 10 percent
- Secure: 10 percent
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