Investigating Limerence: Predictors of Limerence, Measure Validation, and Goal Progress

Abstract

Limerence is a love experience that involves an obsessive desire for romantic reciprocation from a specific other (the limerent object; LO), which manifests itself as intrusive cognitive preoccupation, emotional dependency, and apprehension. This investigation assessed the construct validity and reliability of a new measure of limerence and examined if various personality characteristics and goal pursuit decisions/outcomes were associated with limerence. College students completed 2 online questionnaires 1 month apart assessing limerence, various love states, personality characteristics, and goal pursuit. Findings suggest the new limerence measure is valid and reliable. Low self-esteem, attachment anxiety, low self-concept clarity, need to belong, validation-seeking goal orientation, social phobia, social interaction anxiety, and mind-wandering were found to be associated with limerence. The association between low self-esteem and limerence was found to be mediated mostly through social phobia and validation-seeking goal orientation. Goal importance and resources allocation mediated associations between limerence and goal progress.