Love Conceptualized as Mutual Communal Responsiveness

Abstract

Th e term love is used in many ways. It has been used to refer to sexual feelings for another person, motivation to be with a person, and selfl ess devotion to another (just to name a few). Many times it refers to a combination of these things. Very often the term is used without defi nition. No one usage is the right one. Each has value. Yet in conducting research and in writing about love for academic purposes, it is important to make one’s own conceptual defi nition clear.