PASSIONATE LOVE AND MARITAL SATISFACTION AT KEY TRANSITION POINTS IN THE FAMILY-LIFE CYCLE

Measures of passionate love and marital satisfaction were administered to 59 couples, two months before and eight months after one of three major transitions: (a) engaged to married, (b) childlessness to parenthood, and (c) children living at home to empty nest. The sample was primarily white, college-educated professionals; the three groups had similar educational and occupational levels. Passionate love declined over the three transitions (p < .001) and from before to after each transition (p < .05). However, these differences were small in absolute terms and even the lowest mean indicated a moderate level of passionate love. The patterns of results remained even after controlling statistically for overall marital quality; however, a similar pattern of changes in marital quality did not remain after controlling for love.