Scientists have categorized lovers into four distinct types.

A new study was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Its authors, specialists from the Australian National University and the University of Canberra, utilized data from participants in the Romantic Love Survey 2022. This survey is considered the largest and most comprehensive cross-cultural study on lovers, encompassing over 1,500 English-speaking individuals aged 18-25 from 33 countries who confirmed experiencing romantic love for another person.

The original sample was slightly reduced to 809 individuals. This included participants who scored over 130 points on the Passionate Love Scale (PLS), provided all necessary information, and whose duration of love did not exceed 23 months, as it is believed that after this period, romantic passion may transform into "friendly" love.

Considering parameters such as the intensity of feelings, preoccupation with thoughts about the beloved, commitment to them, and frequency of sexual activity per week, the researchers identified groups of moderately, intensely, reservedly, and passionately in love individuals. Each of the four types also differed in terms of personality traits and other characteristics.

The largest group was the "moderately in love" category, which included almost 41% of respondents. Researchers referred to this type as "ordinary lovers" due to the lack of dramatic expressions. Those in this group were more likely to be men and were characterized by relatively low intensity of feelings and frequency of thoughts about their partner, high commitment, and moderate sexual activity.

The second largest group was the intensely, or "head-over-heels," in love individuals, as rephrased by the researchers in the press release. This category, comprising just over 29% of respondents, exhibited high scores across all examined parameters. Furthermore, it predominantly consisted of women. Intensely in love individuals often reported having developed feelings for their partner even before the romantic relationship began. They were characterized by high levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness. Additionally, they were less inclined to take risks while driving and using drugs, and they consumed alcohol and coffee less frequently.

The reserved or weakly in love individuals, as the name suggests, exhibited lower levels of all manifestations—from intensity of feelings to frequency of sex. Those in this group (20% of respondents) fell in love more quickly and frequently, and scored lower on the "extraversion" and "agreeableness" scales in the five-factor personality test. Among the weakly in love individuals, men were more commonly represented.

The fourth group, the "passionately in love," comprised only 9.64% of respondents. The most striking feature of this type was an exceptionally high frequency of sexual encounters with their beloved—averaging around 10 times a week. Additionally, members of this group spent more money, were more eager to travel, and included a higher number of avid smokers.

Among the limitations of the study, the researchers noted the specificity of the sample (young people, primarily students, from English-speaking countries) and reliance on self-reports. Nonetheless, the authors stated that the findings are significant for the theoretical understanding of romantic love and could serve as a foundation for other scientific articles. For instance, since falling in love involves the participation of two people, it would be interesting to replicate the study involving couples.