Scale Overview
The Passionate Love Scale – PLS was developed by Elaine Hatfield & Susan Sprecher (1986). It is designed to measure Passionate Love. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Shortened Version (15-item), Full Version (30-item).
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Shortened Version (15-item) |
2,5,6,7,8,10,11,14,15,17,19,22,24,29,30 |
15 |
| Full Version (30-item) |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 |
30 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all true, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = Definitely true.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 15 to 135. Interpretation guidelines:
- The thrill is gone (Shortened Version): 15 – 44
- Tepid, infrequent passion (Shortened Version): 45 – 65
- Occasional bursts of passion (Shortened Version): 66 – 85
- Passionate, but less intense (Shortened Version): 86 – 105
- Wildly, even recklessly, in love (Shortened Version): 106 – 135
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Confirmed in Hatfield and Sprecher (1986).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.