The Science of Compassionate Love: Theory, Research, and Applications

What is compassionate love? How does it differ from other types of love? Can it be developed or is it innate? The term compassionate love refers to various forms of other–centered cognitions, affect, and behavior: a giving of the self for the good of the other. It is the kind of love that is central to many religious traditions: a self–giving, caring, love that values the other highly and is intended to give full life to the other. The Science of Compassionate Love answers questions about altruism and compassionate love by providing innovative, state–of–the–art research from leadingscholars. Integrating a variety of perspectives, this volume provides insight intothe nature of compassionate love and how we might better understand it, and encourage its appropriate expression in our lives.

Many disciplines, with unique foci and methods, contribute to our understanding of compassionate love. By drawing from various scholars in psychology, sociology, communication, family studies, and medicine, this volume presents and integrates knowledge in a way that is informative for teaching and helpful for research. It also lays out a variety of methods and measures that pave the way forfuture directions in this field.

Preface and Acknowledgments (Beverley Fehr, University of Winnipeg, Susan Sprecher, Illinois State University, and Lynn Underwood, Hiram College).

Part I: Definitions, Theory, and Measurement.

1. Compassionate Love: A Framework for Research (Lynn G. Underwood, Hiram College).

2. Compassionate Love: Conceptual, Measurement, and Relational Issues (Beverley Fehr, University of Winnipeg and Susan Sprecher, Illinois State University).

3. Measuring Prosocial Behavior, Altruism, and Compassionate Love on US Television (Stacy L. Smith, University of Southern California, Sandi W. Smith, Michigan State University, Katherine M. Pieper, University of Southern California, Edward Downs, Penn State University, Jina H. Yoo, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Becka Bowden, Michigan Bankers Association, Amber Ferris, Kent State University, and Matthew C. Butler, Office of Health and Human Services, State of Michigan).

Part II: The Sociodemographics of Compassionate Love.

4. Love and Caring in the United States: Trends and Correlates of Empathy, Altruism, and Related Constructs (Tom W. Smith, University of Chicago).

5. Compassionate Motivation and Compassionate Acts across the Adult Life Course: Evidence from US National Studies (Nadine F. Marks, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Jieun Song, University of Wisconsin–Madison).

Part III: Compassionate Love in Close Relationships.

6. Empathy and Compassionate Love in Early Childhood: Development and Family Influence (Brenda L. Volling, Amy M. Kolak, and Denise E. Kennedy, University of Michigan).

7. Compassionate Love in Early Marriage (Lisa A. Neff, University of Toledo and Benjamin R. Karney, University of California, Los Angeles).

Part IV: Compassionate Love for Non–Close Others.

8. A Behavioral Systems Perspective on Compassionate Love (Mario Mikulincer, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Phillip R. Shaver, University of California, Davis, and Omri Gillath, University of Kansas).

9. Compassionate Acts: Motivations for and Correlates of Volunteerism among Older Adults (Allen M. Omoto, Claremont Graduate University, Anna M. Malsch, Portland State University, and Jorge A. Barraza, Claremont Graduate University).

10. Compassionate Love for Individuals in Other Social Groups (Salena Brody Collin, County Community College, Stephen C. Wright, Simon Fraser University, Arthur Aron, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Tracy McLaughlin–Volpe, Boston College).

Part V: Compassionate Love in Health Care and Other Caregiving Contexts.

11. Compassionate Family Caregiving in the Light and Shadow of Death (Linda J. Roberts, Meg Wise, and Lori L. DuBenske, University of Wisconsin–Madison).

12. Compassionate Clinicians: Exemplary Care in Hospital Settings (David R. Graber, Medical University of South Carolina and Maralynne D. Mitcham, College of Health Professions).

13. Caregiving in Sociocultural Context (Norman D. Giesbrecht, University of Calgary).

Part VI: Compassionate Love in an Intercultural Context.

14. Testing Aspects of Compassionate Love in a Sample of Indonesian Adolescents (Julie Vaughan, Nancy Eisenberg, Arizona State University, Doran C. French, Illinois Wesleyan University, Urip Purwono, Universitas Padjadjaran, Telie A. Suryanti (associate consultant), and Sri Pidada (deceased).

Part VII: Commentary.

15. Compassionate Love: Concluding Reflections (Daniel Perlman, University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Rozzana Sánchez Aragón, National Autonomous University of Mexico).

Index.

Beverley Fehr is Professor of Psychology at the University of Winnipeg.

Susan Sprecher is Professor of Sociology with Joint Appointment in Psychology at Illinois State University.

Lynn G. Underwood is Professor of Biomedical Humanities at Hiram College.

Through this volume, Fehr, Sprecher, and Underwood have provided a detailed compilation of related theory, research, and applications while also encouraging a reexamination of common conceptions of compassionate love and related constructs. ( PsycCritiques, June 2009)

The contributors work in a variety of disciplines social psychology, communication, health science. Together they present a state–of–the–art perspective, oriented toward future scientific investigations of compassionate love but in touch with its roots in developments such as humanistic psychology. (CHOICE, March 2009)