Love and Loving Relationships in People with Learning Disabilities: A Scientific Approach
Abstract
Love has been a recurring theme through history and literature, and its relevance to health, well‐being and quality of life has been widely acknowledged. However, the scientific study of love has not yet reached people with learning disabilities. The study reported here was based on research with 376 people with learning disabilities in Spain, and aimed to analyse their appraisal of love, loving relationships and related issues (global evaluation, satisfaction, role of the family and self‐determination). A Likert‐type measure was developed, and the outcomes indicate that the measures have satisfactory psychometric characteristics. It is also evident that the theoretical model of love for people without disabilities can be applied to individuals with disabilities, and includes three key factors (‘commitment, stability and idealisation’, ‘passion and physiological arousal’ and ‘intimacy and romanticism’). It also indicates that the perceptions of love in people with learning disabilities are relatively idealised and influenced by context, and interference from family and self‐determination are key issues.
Citation
Morentin, R., Arias, B., Jenaro, C., Rodríguez‐Mayoral, J. and McCarthy, M. (2008), "Love and Loving Relationships in People with Learning Disabilities: A Scientific Approach", Tizard Learning Disability Review, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1108/13595474200800016
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited