Indian Res. J. Genet. & Biotech.
9(1) : 144-154 (2017)
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE
DR. ALKA PANDEY & DR. K. MAYUR
1. Dr. AlkaPandey, Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, G.B.
Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
2. Dr. K.Mayuri, Emeritus Scientist (ICAR), Department of Human Development and Family Studies,
College of Home Science, PJTSAU, Saifabad, Hyderabad, India
(Received : November, 2016 : Revised : January, 2017; Accepted : January, 2017)
ABSTRACT
Present exploratory study entitled “Gender differences in perception of Romantic Love” was undertaken in
Hyderabad and Secunderabad city. Perception on sexual relationship scale (PSRS) was developed by
researcher to study gender differences in perception of romantic love. 400 men and women of 21- 60 years &
above age group were selected as a sample for the study. It was found that mostly female respondents defined
love as understanding, caring, and respect whereas mostly male respondents said that it is a friendship,
passion, concern and care. Men tended more often to believe in love at first sight than women. Both of them,
across age groups in higher percentages felt that understanding nature &physical appearance are the most
critical factor for love. Men and women across age groups felt that often sexual attraction was mistaken for
love. Men felt romance is not necessary in sex, whereas women felt it is necessary. Self-centeredness was
reported as the most important reason for the breakup of romantic relationships by most of the male and
female respondents. According to male respondents nonverbal expression of love is the best way to express
romantic love. Female respondents said that verbally expressing affection, such as saying “I love you”
frequently, emotional and moral support of the partner in need, respecting partner’s opinion is the best way
to express love towards partner.
Whilst the term ‘Sex’ refers to the physical aspects, particularly the act of sexual intercourse, sexuality has a
broad meaning, encompassing not only physical but also social and mental aspects. Sexuality underpins much
of who and what a person is and has significance throughout every-one’s life. To the largest extent, human
sexuality determines who we are. It is an integral factor in the uniqueness of every person”. Sexuality is an
essential part of a person’s make-up or psyche and expressing it is a basic human right.Earlier Studies on
gender differences in sexuality shows that, female sex drive is more malleable than the male in response to
sociocultural and situational factors. A large assortment of evidence supports 3 predictions (a) Individual
women will exhibit more variation across time than men in sexual behavior, (b) female sexuality will exhibit
larger effects than male in response to most specific sociocultural variables, and (c) sexual attitude-behavior
consistency will be lower for women than men (Roy, 2000). It was also found that fewer females than males
engaged in premarital sexual behaviors. In the most recent National Family Health Survey (2005–2006), 9%
of young men aged 15–19 and 13% aged 20–24 reported having had premarital sex. In the same survey, 1%
of females in each of those age-groups reported premarital sex (IIPS and Macro International 2007).
Corresponding author's e-mail :
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145 Dr Alka Pandey et al. [Vol. 9 No.1 ]
MATERIAL AND METHODS percentages in Graphs were used along with
weightedscores for Ranked Items. For Ranked Scores
Present study was conducted during 2013-14 in weighted Scores were calculated by giving each rank
Hyderabad and Secunderabad city of Telangana. a score in descending order of the ranks. For
Exploratory research design was used to investigate Instance, if there were 12 options for ranking, Rank 1
the present study. Educated middle class and upper would get a score of 12. For each item, the weighted
middle class group was selected andPurposive scores were calculated as follows
sampling technique was used for the study (since
persons who were willing to fill the questionnaire
Rank 1 x Number of Respondents giving that rank x
was included for the study). 400 respondents under
Score + Rank 2 x Number of Respondents giving that
the age group of 21- 60 years and above, both men
rank x Score ….. = Final Score
and women were selected for the study. A
questionnaire (Mayuri&Pandey, 2011) was
Items were then placed in Descending order of the
developed for the present study which included
Final Scores they achieve.
questions on romantic love to understand the gender
differences in perception of romantic love. Frequency
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1.1 Some common and interesting definitions of love given by different age
group of respondents (N= 400)
Age
Gender Definition of love
group
1. Emotional attachments between two people
2. Love is life& friendship
3. Being passionate about someone to an extent that he/she
Male becomes a reason to do something in life.
4. Love is all can be divided into three entitles- trust, romance,
attachment
21-25 5. It is a attraction before marriage
6. It's a waste of time
yrs
1. Love is as pure as gold, as soft as wax as hard as diamond & as
innocent as child.
2. Understanding, respect & care
Female 3. It is trust and commitment in relationship
4. Love is eternal which make life beautiful. But if not handled
carefully, can make life hell & complex.
5. Wastage of time
1. Friendship, Care, affection
2. When a person is in love, he/she feels that he/she is the happiest
26-30 Male person of this earth.
yrs 3. Love is that in which person has to express not impress
4. It’s an excessive secretion of oxytocin hormones
Female 1. Divine emotion between two individuals
Feb,2017 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE … 146
2. Love is defined as care, respect, affection & understanding
between two people.
3. Love is a magical word which binds the two people together. It
is another name for friendship.
4. Misunderstanding between two fools
1. Emotional attachment between two people
2. Feeling of togetherness. It is an act of being self-less in a
Male relationship.
3. Love is life it is caring & affection stimulates love, without it
love is nothing
31-40
4. It is a undefined emotionally satisfying relation
yrs 1. Emotional dependence on each other
2. Understanding between two people
Female 3. Love is a spiritual thing
4. Love is a race where a person need not come first but all they
need is to be the last one.
5. Love is blind
1. Love is essential part of life, without love life is incomplete
2. Love means understanding and giving proper respect and
Male cooperation to partner in all situations.
3. Love is faith between two people
41-50 4. Unconditional support
yrs 5. Effect of chemical produced in brain carried over the body
1. Love is most beautiful thing given to us by god.
Female 2. Sacrifice and support at each and every stage of life
3. Love is unconditional; it is based on faith care.
4. Love is emotional, mental and physical attraction
1. Love is our feeling of compassion, concern and care for others.
2. Emotional attachment with sense of respect for each other
3. Love is connected with libido which ultimately converts into
Male orgasm
4. Lake of tears, ocean of sorrows, valley of tears, end of life
50 and 5. Love is very strong feeling of affection towards someone who is
romantically or sexually attracted to you.
above
1. Love is a god given gift. It is another name of sacrifice, sharing,
and understanding.
Female 2. Love is a feeling of comfort, security, enjoyment and
understanding between two people.
3. Attention and mutual understanding between each other
4. Love is mesmerizing
Every respondent defined love in their own between two people. Whereas mostly male
words few interesting and most common definitions respondents said that it is a friendship, passion,
are given in table 4.1. Most of the female respondents concern and care even though they agreed with
repeatedly defined love as understanding, caring, and female respondents and almost all age groups of male
respect. They also said that it is an emotional bonding respondents said that it is an emotional attachment
147 Dr Alka Pandey et al. [Vol. 9 No.1 ]
and mutual understanding between two people. In all misunderstanding”, “waste of time” etc. Even though
age groups few negative comments were also numbers of negative responses were very less
received about love, such as “love is compare..to…positive.
Table 1.2 Belief in love at first sight
80.0 Belief in love at first sight (% Table)
70.0
P 60.0
e 50.0
r 40.0
30.0
c 20.0
e 10.0
n 0.0
50 & above
t 21-25 yrs 26-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 41-50 yrs
yrs
Age group of respondents
Male 32.5 57.5 40.0 70.0 57.5
Female 20.0 40.0 35.0 42.5 35.0
Men tended more often to believe in love at first no problem with the concept of love at first sight;
sight than women, and that too men above 40 years. nearly half of them endorsed it across age groups. A
Women seemed less enchanted with the idea. By recent study also supports this research finding which
nature, being cautious, women seem to think some found that men are more likely to fall in love at first
familiarity is required with the person before sight than women, which may contribute to their
affections can be engaged. Men tend to place high increased propensity to stray compared to their
emphasis on physical appearance and therefore see female counterparts. The findings come from an
online survey of more than 10,000 people around the
world, answering questions about their relationships.
Among the findings: 48 percent of men claim they
have fallen in love at first sight, while just 28 percent
of women say the same (Lindsay Maxfield 2013).
Feb,2017 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE … 148
Table 1.3 Most important component of love
80.0 Most important component of love
70.0
60.0
P 50.0
e 40.0
r 30.0
20.0
c 10.0
e 0.0
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
n
t 50 & above
21-25 yrs 26-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 41-50 yrs
yrs
Age group of respondents
Passion 5.0 7.5 2.5 7.5 5.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 5.0
Intimacy 5.0 5.0 7.5 7.5 0.0 5.0 22.5 7.5 20.0 0.0
Commitment 37.5 30.0 25.0 15.0 27.5 25.0 17.5 22.5 20.0 15.0
Warmth 5.0 0.0 7.5 5.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 7.5 5.0 10.0
Understanding 47.5 57.5 57.5 65.0 67.5 55.0 50.0 62.5 50.0 70.0
Both men and women, across age groups in higher opposite sex, weighted rank order were used. Tables
percentages felt that understanding nature was the (1.4) depict that most of the respondents, irrespective
most critical factor for love. Following this, of age and gender thought in the same they ranked
commitment appeared to be important. Passion, physical appearance on top and considered it as the
intimacy and warmth saw few takers. most important characteristics to impress the opposite
sex.
In order to understand the respondent’s perceptions
on most important characteristics to impress the
Table 1.4 Most important characteristics to impress the opposite sex
Age group→ 21-25 yrs. 26-30 yrs. 31-40 yrs. 41-50 yrs. 50 yrs. &
above
Gender↓
Male Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical
appearance appearance appearance appearance appearance
Education Education Education Education Education
Female Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical
appearance appearance appearance appearance appearance
Education Education Education Education Education
149 Dr Alka Pandey et al. [Vol. 9 No.1 ]
Above table also depicts respondents of both that woman’s sex appeal lies in her beauty, 70 per
sexes kept education on the second place on cent men in Chennai thought the same. The same
preference list, showed the urge of respondents for survey found that 95 per cent women in Hyderabad
a well-educated partner. India Today survey (2013) thought poor body image reduces sexual pleasure.
also found that 42 per cent men in India thought
Table 1.5.Mistake Sexual Attraction as love
Mistake Sexual Attraction as love
100
P 80
e 60
r 40
c 20
e 0
n 21-25 26-30 31-40 41-50 51& above
t Men 80 85 70 67.5 67.5
Women 77.5 82.5 75 77.5 85
A good percentage of both men and peaked in the 26-30 years age group and for women
women across age groups felt that often sexual in the 51 and above age group
attraction was mistaken for love. The percentages
.
Table 4.6.Connect between romance and sex
Connect between romance and sex
80
p 70
60
e 50
40
r 30
20
c 10
e 0
Fema Fema Fema Fema Fema
n Male Male Male Male Male
le le le le le
t 50 &
21-25 yrs 26-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 41-50 yrs
above yrs
Sex essential part of Romance 37.5 47.5 35 40 45 30 45 30 27.5 65
Sex not necessary, romance
45 32.5 52.5 57.5 42.5 57.5 47.5 70 65 30
psychological connection
Sex detrimental, reduces romantic
17.5 20 12.5 2.5 12.5 12.5 7.5 0 7.5 5
feeling
Feb,2017 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE … 150
At the younger age group, more men felt extroverted had a stronger preference for romantic
sex was not necessary in romance, whereas more stimuli. However, additional analyses revealed that
women felt it was necessary. In the next three age women made the same associations regardless of
groups, respondents more often felt sex was not their extraversion levels, but men who were low in
necessary in romance. In final age group, of above extraversion preferred the romantic stimuli to the
51 years, interestingly women felt sex was sexual images. The results of this study did not
important for romance unlike men of that age support previous findings that confirmed the
group. Lewandowski (2011) found that men and common-sense notion that men strongly prefer sex
women both made stronger and quicker to romance, which is likely the result of how
associations between romance pictures and researchers measured men’s attitudes. When men
“pleasant” than they did between sexual images and report their own feelings, they may confirm the
“pleasant.” Women’s positive associations with highly sexualized male stereotype out of pride or
romance were stronger than men’s. It was also simply because they think that is what others expect
found that overall; individuals who were less from them.
Table 1.7.Main reasons of breakup of a romantic relationship (21- 25 years)
Age group→ 21-25 yrs. 26-30 yrs. 31-40 yrs. 41-50 yrs. 50 yrs. &
above
Gender↓
Male Self- Self-centered Self-centered Self-centered Self-centered
centered behaviour, behaviour, behaviour, behaviour,
behaviour, Difference of Family Difference of Difference of
Boredom opinion on compulsions opinion on opinion on
issues of issues of issues of
importance importance importance
Female Self- Difference of Self-centered Lacking in Self-centered
centered opinion on behaviour, warmth, behaviour,
behaviour, issues of Difference of Difference of Poor
Difference importance, opinion on opinion on listening
of opinion Self-centered issues of issues of skills,
on issues of behaviour importance importance Difference of
importance opinion on
issues of
importance
According to table 1.7. Self-centeredness young male and female respondents.They also
was reported as the most important reason for the reported boredom, difference of opinion as an
breakup of romantic relationships by most of the important issues and other attractions as reasons of
151 Dr Alka Pandey et al. [Vol. 9 No.1 ]
breakup whereas female respondents perceived romantic relationships and lack of partner's
difference of opinion on important issues, loss of attention can cause the breakup of romantic
attraction towards present partner and boredom relationships. It was found in the present survey
were reasons for the breakup of romantic that most of the male and female respondents
relationships. Both males and females of younger thought self-centered behaviour was the main
generation ranked “boredom” quite high on the reason for the breakup of a romantic relationship.
rank table compared to other older generations and Other reasons were differences of opinion, poor
mentioned it as important reasons for the breakup listening skills and boredom. Female respondents of
of romantic relationships which showed immature almost all age groups wanted warmth, love and
decision of youngsters while selecting their partner. affection in their romantic relationships and
because of the absence of these components,
Both male and female respondents want their
relationships can reach the verge of breakup.
partner's attention for igniting warmth in their
Table 4.8 Expectations from partner
Age 21-25 yrs. 26-30 yrs. 31-40 yrs. 41-50 yrs. 50 yrs. &
group→ above
Gender↓
Male Willingness to Willingness to Be nice to Willingness Willingness
be with partner be with her/his to be with to be with
as and when partner as and family/friends/ partner as partner as
desired, Help when desired, relatives, and when and when
partner in her/his Be nice to Help partner desired, desired,
other activities her/his in her/his Help partner Help partner
family/friends/ other activities in her/his in her/his
relatives other other
activities activities
Female Willingness to Willingness to Help partner Willingness Willingness
be with partner be with in her/his to be with to be with
as and when partner as and other partner as partner as
desired, Agree activities, and when and when
when desired,
with partner on Willingness to desired, desired,
most things Be nice to be with Help partner Help partner
her/his partner as and in her/his in her/his
family/friends/ when desired other other
relatives activities activities
Feb,2017 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE … 152
want proof of love from their partner, so most of
the younger female respondents said that verbally
expressing affection, such as saying “I love you”
Most of the respondents of 21-25 years frequently, emotional and moral support of the
both males and females expected their partner’s partner in the need, respecting partner’s opinion
company at the time of their needs and and sometime nonverbal expression of love can
requirements. This age group of respondents even also work to express love towards partner. Middle
though most of them were un-married, perceived age group of men said that respecting partner’s
their partner as most trustworthy person and the opinions, nonverbal expression, and some time
person on whom they can rely more when they giving material evidence can also be the best way to
were in need and emotional support. Most of the express romantic love. The higher percentage of the
male respondents expected help from their partner middle age group of women needed emotional and
in their activities whether it is day to day or moral support from their partner and thought it as
professional which showed that younger generation the best way to express romantic love. Older age
males expected smart partner for themselves with groups of male respondents thought that giving
whom they can share their responsibilities. Male nonmaterial evidence, such as giving emotional and
respondents of this age group expected good and moral support at the time of need and respecting
nice behaviour from their partner towards their partner’s opinions were the best way and females
family friends and relatives. Female respondents thought that nonverbal expression such as
expected agreement of their partner on most of the expressing happiness and feeling secure when the
things. They too expected good and nice behaviour partner is present and sometime physically
of their partners for their family friends and expressing love like hugging, kissing, making love
relatives. was the best way to express romantic love.
It was also found by the study that as age
increases life partners need each other’s company,
some time for physical, some time for moral and
some time for emotional support. They need each
other’s help in performing their day to day activity.
They want their life partner’s agreement while
taking important decisions.
According to table 1.9 young age group of
male respondents perceived that nonverbal
expression of love, such as expressing feelings like
happiness/contentment/secure when the partner is
present, respecting partner’s opinions, emotional
and moral support and physical expression of love
like hugging, kissing, making love were the best
way to express romantic love. Females always
153 Dr Alka Pandey et al. [Vol. 9 No.1 ]
Table 1.9 Best way to express romantic love
Best way to express romantic love
70
P 60
e
r 50
c 40
e
n 30
t
20
10
0
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
21-25 yrs 26-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 41-50 yrs
Age group of respondents
Verbal Expression 15 22.5 15 22.5 22.5 15 30 5
Self – Disclose 0 5 2.5 10 5 15 22.5 12.5
Emotional & Moral support 25 40 30 42.5 25 62.5 47.5 40
Respecting opinions 30 10 35 40 40 20 52.5 12.5
Non-verbal expression 12.5 7.5 42.5 40 27.5 27.5 17.5 30
Material Evidence 10 0 0 10 27.5 15 15 15
Through Gestures 5 2.5 0 7.5 17.5 10 7.5 22.5
Physical expression 25 12.5 25 17.5 20 7.5 37.5 32.5
Tolerating idiosyncrasies 2.5 0 5 15 5 7.5 2.5 10
Forgiving behaviours 2.5 5 7.5 22.5 15 12.5 5 30
153
Feb,2017 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OF ROMANTIC LOVE … 154
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