Triangular Theory and Relationships in Today’s Time

Bio of Geetika Sharma

Geetika Sharma is a student at University of Delhi. She is pursuing her major in Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) and minor in psychology. She has a strong interest in psychology, often drawing inspiration from everyday conversations with friends and family to explore deeper emotional and behavioral patterns. Through her work, she seeks to apply psychological insights to real-life situations and interpersonal dynamics.

Blog by Geetika Sharma

Love is an integral part in observing today’s psychology.

Citing my experience, I have often seen 5 out of 5 friends getting stressed about love. Today, love has become a complicated concept, twisting the emotions further. Although people are clear about what they want when they enter that relationship, things start to change. The same people who were clear with their needs and wants start to know that their partner expects more. It tends to become more one-sided, or sometimes it works out.

Triangular Theory of Love

Developed by psychologist Robert Sternberg in 1986, the Triangular Theory of Love states its validity even after 40 years and helps us understand different love styles to study the psychology of love of the current generation (aged between 18-21). This theory cites three components of love: passion, intimacy and commitment.

Passion and Stage 1 Infatuation

Coming to passion first because it represents the initial stage of infatuation. Passion refers to the physical sexual attraction, i.e., the basis for a happy romantic relationship. With the rise of social media, the attention on looks has become mainstream for choosing someone. A person’s physical appearance is given at most importance by both men and women. Asking a 20-year-old guy, he mentioned that the first stage for liking each other is physical looks only; unless the guy and girl find each other attractive, you wouldn’t want to talk to each other. Similarly, a 19-yearold female cited that she would want to talk to a person if she found him attractive.

Connectedness and Bondedness in Loving Relationships

Intimacy is often taken in regard with reference to physical intimacy. Although Sternberg described Intimacy as “feelings of closeness, connectedness and bondedness in loving relationships”. Women are known to love emotional intimacy more, while men are known to love physical intimacy more. But as the trends change and men are asked to be more vocal with their feelings, men are also becoming more aware of the emotional part of intimacy. Asking personally to people regarding this matter men still have a comparatively low in understanding the emotional intimacy part, which bothers women. While women are good at the physical intimacy part, for some of them, emotional intimacy is the beginning of physical intimacy.

Triangular Theory and Commitment

Commitment as defined by Sternberg “in the short-term, to the decision that one loves a certain other, and in the long-term, to one’s Commitment to maintain that love”. With terms like situationship, benching arising commitment has taken a backseat from the side of both genders, yet women are slightly higher in number when it comes to commitment. Often, if passion or intimacy is missing in a relationship, there are lower chances of commitment, which seems fair enough. When all these three components of the triangular theory come together, they make their magic called “Relationship satisfaction”. Understanding all these points, knowing your needs and wants, is something that can lead to better relationships in today’s time!

PBI Take: We’re always interested in how psychological theory translates into real-world experience. People often enter relationships with a clear sense of what they want, yet struggle as expectations evolve. Sternberg’s framework gives us a useful lens for understanding human behaviour more broadly. Passion, intimacy, and commitment shift over time, influenced by context, communication, and self-awareness. The real opportunity is in making these patterns visible.