Passionate Love Scale – PLS
Measures the cognitive, physiological, and behavioral components of passionate love.
Scale Development & Technical Details
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.
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: 15 – 44
- Tepid, infrequent passion: 45 – 65
- Occasional bursts of passion: 66 – 85
- Passionate, but less intense: 86 – 105
- Wildly, even recklessly, in love: 106 – 135
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha typically > .90).
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.