Comparison of Undergraduates with Older Adults on Love Styles and Life Satisfaction

Abstract

In a previous study, sex differences were noted in the correlation of 215 undergraduates' ratings on Lee's love styles and their ratings on their satisfaction with life, work, and personal relationships. For example, game-playing love was positively related to life satisfaction for the 42 undergraduate men but was negatively related to life satisfaction for the 98 undergraduate women. In the current study, 215 adults over the age of 29 years were surveyed to examine whether the previous differences between the sexes held up in an older sample. Values for the older sample of 215 were similar to those for the 98 undergraduate women but not for the 42 undergraduate men. For example, game-playing love was negatively related to life satisfaction for both the 130 older women and the 85 older men.