Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T16:24:44.616Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Romantic Beliefs and Myths in Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Ana Barrón López de Roda*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
David Martínez-Íñigo
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
Pilar de Paúl
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
Carlos Yela
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Ana Barrón López de Roda, Departamento de Psicología Social. Facultad de Psicología.Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Campus de Somosaguas. 28223 Madrid (Spain).

Abstract

Data from a representative sample of the Spanish population (1,949 participants between ages 18 and 65) were analyzed to examine the strength of the principal romantic myths and the link between sex, love, and marriage in Spain. A survey was made up and was administered by interviewers. The results show the strength of these myths and the relationship between the three above-mentioned variables. Women, people with fewer years of formal education, and older people were more likely to believe in the myths and the relation between sex, love, and marriage was stronger in these groups. The findings are discussed in terms of different psychosocial theories.

En este artículo se analizan los datos de una investigación realizada con una muestra representativa de la población española respecto a la vigencia de los principales mitos románticos y la vinculación entre sexo, amor y matrimonio. Se elaboró un cuestionario para evaluar dichas variables, que fue administrado, en forma de entrevista, a 1.949 personas. Los resultados indican la gran vigencia de dichos mitos y la estrecha relación entre las tres variables indicadas anteriormente, especialmente en el caso de las mujeres, personas de mayor edad y con menor nivel de estudios. Los resultados se comentan desde diferentes teorías psicosociales.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Argyle, M. (1987). The psychology of happiness. New York: Methuen.Google Scholar
Averill, J.R., & Boothroyd, P. (1977). On falling in love in conformance with the romantic ideal. Motivation and Emotion, 3, 235247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avia, M.D, Carrillo, J.M., & Rojo, N. (1990). Personalidad y diferencias sexuales: el papel del sexo, la edad y la experiencia. Revista de Psicología Social, 1, 722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrón, A. (1990). Estrés vital, apoyo social y creencias de salud. In Barriga, S., León, J.M., Martínez, M., & Jiménez, I. (Eds.), Psicología de la salud (pp. 197218). Sevilla, Spain: S.E.D.A.L.Google Scholar
Barrón, A., & Martínez-Íñigo, D. (in press). Patrones de atribución y estabilidad matrimonial: atribuciones de causalidad y responsabilidad en una muestra de casados y divorciados. Psicothema.Google Scholar
Baxter, L.A., & Wilmot, W.N. (1985). Taboo topics in close relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2, 253–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, A.T. (1988). Love is never enough. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Bem, D.J. (1972). Self-perception theory. In Berkowitz, L. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 6). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Bradbury, T.N., & Fincham, F.D. (1990). Attributions in marriage: Review and critique. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burgess, E.W., & Locke, H.J. (1945). The family: From institution to companionships. New York: American Book.Google Scholar
Buss, D.M., & Schmitt, D.P. (1993). Sexual strategies theory: An evolutionary perspective on human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buunk, B., & Bringle, R.G. (1987). Jealousy in love relationships. In Perlman, D., & Duck, S.W. (Eds.), Intimate relationships (pp. 123148). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Cancian, F. (1987). Love in America: Gender and self-development. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
C.I.R.E.S. (Centro de Investigaciones de la Realidad Social) (1992). La realidad social en España. Erandio, Spain: Ellacuría.Google Scholar
Clark, R.D., & Hatfield, E. (1989). Gender differences in receptivity to sexual offers. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 2, 3955.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, M., & McHenry, R. (1978). Sexual attraction. Oxford, UK: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Crosby, J.F. (1973). Illusion and disillusion: The self in love and marriage. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Google Scholar
Dion, K.K., & Dion, K.L. (1996). Cultural perspective on romantic love. Personal Relationships, 3, 517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dion, K.L., & Dion, K.K. (1979). Personality and behavior correlates of romantic love. In Cook, M. & Wilson, G. (Eds.), Love and attraction (pp. 213220). Oxford, UK: Pergamon Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, A., & Grieger, R. (1977). Handbook of rational-emotive therapy. New York: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Fisher, H. (1992). The anatomy of love. New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Foa, V.G., Anderson, B., Converse, J. Jr., Urbansky, W.A., Cawley, M.J., Muhlhausen, S.M., & Tornblom, K.Y. (1987). Gender-related sexual attitudes: Some cross-cultural similarities and differences. Sex Roles, 16, 511519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ford, C.S., & Beach, F.A. (1951). Patterns of sexual behavior. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Frijda, N. H. (1988). The laws of emotion. American Psychologist, 5, 349358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Good, L.R. (1976). Belief in romantic love. Psychology, 13, 67.Google Scholar
Goode, W.J. (1959). The theoretical importance of love. American Sociological Review, 24, 3847.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graziano, W., & Musser, L.M. (1982). The joining and the parting of the ways. In Duck, S.W. (Ed.), Personal relationships 4: Dissolving personal relationships (pp. 75106). London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hendrick, S., & Hendrick, C. (1992). Liking, loving, and relating. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks Cole.Google Scholar
Hetch, M., Marston, P.J., & Larkey, L.K. (1994). Love ways and relationships quality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 2543.Google Scholar
Houston, L.N. (1981). Romanticism and eroticism among Black and White college students. Adolescence, 16, 263–72.Google Scholar
Iglesias de Ussel, J. (1987). Sociología del noviazgo en España. Granada, Spain: Caja General de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Granada.Google Scholar
Jankowiak, W.R., & Fischer, E.F. (1992). A cross-cultural perspective on romantic love. Ethnology, 31, 149155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kayser, K. (1993). When love dies: The process of marital disaffection. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kersten, K.K., & Kersten, L.K. (1988). Marriage and the family: Studying close relationships. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Liebowitz, M.R. (1983). The chemistry of love. Boston, MA: Little Brown.Google Scholar
Malo de Molina, C. (1992). Los españoles y la sexualidad. Madrid: Temas de Hoy.Google Scholar
Martín Gaite, C. (1987). Usos amorosos en la España del s. XVIII. Barcelona: Anagrama.Google Scholar
Martínez-Íñigo, D. (1997). Aspectos psicosociales de los procesos de disolución de las relaciones interpersonales íntimas. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Mathes, E.W., & Wise, P.S. (1983). Romantic love and the ravages of time. Psychological Reports, 53, 839846.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nieto, J.A. (1989). Cultura y sociedad en las prácticas sexuales. Madrid: Fundación Universidad-Empresa.Google Scholar
Noller, P. (1996). What is this thing called love? Defining the love that supports marriage and family. Personal Relationships, 3, 97115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortega y Gasset, J. (1917). Para la cultura del amor. Obras Completas (1st ed., Vol. II, pp. 138145). Madrid: Revista de Occidente.Google Scholar
Ortega y Gasset, J. (1926). Sobre el “amor cortés.” Obras Completas (1st ed., Vol. III, pp. 442446). Madrid: Revista de Occidente.Google Scholar
Ortega y Gasset, J. (1952). Prólogo a “El Collar de la Paloma.” Obras Completas (1st ed., Vol. VII, pp. 4155). Madrid: Alianza/Revista de Occidente.Google Scholar
Peele, S. (1975). Love and addiction. New York: Taplinger.Google Scholar
Rosenblatt, P.C., & Anderson, R.M. (1981). Human sexuality in cross-cultural perspective. In Cook, M. (Ed.), The bases of human sexual attraction (pp. 215250). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Rougemont, D. (1938). L'amour et L'Occident. Paris: Librarie Plan.Google Scholar
Schaef, A.W. (1989). Escape from intimacy: The pseudo-relationship addictions. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Simon, R.W., Eder, D., & Evans, C. (1992). The development of feeling norms underlying romantic love among adolescent females. Social Psychology Quarterly, 55, 2946.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, J.A., Campbell, B., & Berscheid, E. (1986). The association between romantic love and marriage: Kephart twice revisited. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 12, 363–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skinner, B.F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Solomon, R.C. (1988). About love. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Solomon, R.L. (1980). The opponent process theory of acquired motivation: The costs of pleasure and the benefits of pain. American Psychologist, 35, 691712.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sternberg, R.J. (1988). The triangle of love: Intimacy, passion, commitment. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Tennov, D. (1979). Love and limerance. New York: Stein Day.Google Scholar
Van Sommers, P. (1987). Jealousy. What is it? Who feels it? London: Penguin.Google Scholar
Wilson, G. (1981). The Coolidge effect:An evolutionary account of human sexuality. New York: Morrow.Google Scholar
Wilson, G., & Nias, D. (1976). Love's mysteries. Glasgow, UK: Collins.Google Scholar
Yela, C. (1995). Análisis psico-sociológico del comportamiento amoroso. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Yela, C. (1996). Componentes básicos del amor: algunas matizaciones al modelo de Sternberg. Revista de Psicología Social, 11, 185201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yela, C. (1997). Curso temporal de los componentes básicos del amor a lo largo de la relación de pareja. Psicothema, 9, 115.Google Scholar
Yela, C. (1998). Diferencias entre sexos en los juicios verbales sobre su comportamiento amoroso y sexual. Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 51, 115147.Google Scholar