Abstract

The present study examined the influence of marriage duration and family type on love among married couples. Although love is considered a fundamental element of a successful marital relationship, its expression and intensity may vary across different stages of marriage and family environments. Limited empirical research has investigated the combined effect of marriage duration and family type on love, particularly among married couples in the Indian context. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore the individual and interaction effects of these variables on love. A total of 600 married couples from different regions of Gujarat, India, were selected through purposive sampling. The participants were classified into three categories of marriage duration (0–5 years, 8–12 years, and above 15 years) and two family types (joint and nuclear), following a 3 × 2 factorial research design. Love was measured using the Triangular Love Scale (TLS) developed by Sternberg (1986), which assesses the dimensions of intimacy, passion, and commitment. The collected data were analyzed using Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that marriage duration had a significant effect on love (F = 8.19), indicating that the level of love differs across different stages of married life. Family type also showed a significant influence (F = 7.10), with couples living in nuclear families reporting comparatively higher levels of love than those residing in joint families. Furthermore, the interaction effect between marriage duration and family type was statistically significant (F = 3.91), suggesting that the influence of marriage duration on love varies according to the family environment. The findings highlight the importance of developmental and family-related factors in understanding marital love and provide useful implications for psychologists, marriage counsellors, family therapists, and other mental health professionals working to strengthen marital relationships and family well-being.