The Lay Belief of Love as Action and its Emotional and Behavioral Implications

For millennia, philosophers, theologians, academics, and laypersons have arguedthat love is action – that, regardless of feelings, love can exist through enactments withinthe physical world. It is unclear, however, the extent to which this belief exists within thecontemporary U.S., as well as whether manifestation of love beliefs matter within thecontext of loving relationships. We began our investigation by testing how love as actionbelief may shape reactions to positive and negative expectancy violations within romanticrelationships. Across two studies (N = 884), including an 11-day daily diary study, wedemonstrate that love as action belief exists on a spectrum. Our work also implies thatthose with a stronger love as action belief more readily communicate with their romanticpartner following expectancy violations. This body of work introduces a unique constructof love as action belief which has potential relevance for understanding a myriad ofinterpersonal dynamics.