SAGE Reference - Encyclopedia of Social Psychology

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Unrequited Love

In: Encyclopedia of Social Psychology
Edited by: Roy F. Baumeister & Kathleen D. Vohs
Subject:Social Psychology (general)
Keywords:unrequited love

Definition

Unrequited love refers to instances when one person (the would-be lover) feels romantic, passionate feelings for an individual who does not return the same feelings (the rejector). Research indicates that unrequited love is quite common. Almost everyone in the United States has either loved someone who did not love them in return or been loved by someone they did not love in return by the time they reach college.

Background and History

For centuries, unrequited love has been a prevalent theme in the cultural arts (e.g., poetry, music, literature), as well as the popular media. If you turn on your [Page 1005]radio, there is a good chance you will hear a melancholy singer lamenting over having his or her love refused by the object of his or ...

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  Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2007). Unrequited love. In Encyclopedia of social psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 1005-1006). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253.n597
  
  Baumeister, Roy F., and Kathleen D. Vohs. "Unrequited Love." In Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, edited by Baumeister, Roy F., and Kathleen D. Vohs, 1005-6. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2007. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253.n597.
  
  Baumeister, R. F. and Vohs, K. D. 2007. Unrequited Love. In: Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs Editors, 2007. Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. pp. 1005-1006 Available at: <https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253.n597> [Accessed 23 May 2022].
  
  Baumeister, Roy F. and Kathleen D. Vohs. "Unrequited Love." Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. Edited by Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2007, pp. 1005-6. SAGE Knowledge. 23 May 2022, doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253.n597.
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Unrequited Love

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