THE LOVE TEST

by Harold Bessell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 1984

California psychologist Bessell decided that many of his married patients weren't neurotic, they were just mismatched. That needn't be: a couple's chance for ""a fulfilling romantic relationship,"" he now proposes, is the sum of their Romantic Attachment and Emotional Maturity, both measurable by questionnaire. The questionnaires are here, of course--in duplicate. (For multiple use, Bessell suggests colored inks.) The RAQ consists of 60 statements that, in the aggregate, might well be an index of being in love. (""This person's approval is very important to me""; ""I like to touch and be touched by this person""; ""I like doing things for this person."") The rub is Bessell's belief that once-in-love, forever-in-love. (An earlier table helps to distinguish between love and infatuation--which, says Bessell, seldom outlasts 60-90 days of close contact.) The EMQ is a fairly conventional measure, as such things go (Bessell devised it for youngsters), of four categories of ""behavioral traits"": Awareness, Relating, Competence, integrity. There follow diagrams for determining, from the RAQ and EMQ, your Personal Love Profile and Love Relationship Type. Plus: Ten Rules of Togetherness purportedly practiced by top-scorers. And 64 tips for developing the 64 traits of emotional maturity. And, moving down the scale, 50 ways to rekindle emotional excitement. Finally, for hopeless relationships, there are pointers on splitting up--after assessing ""the seven benefits of marriage described below"" (via a Benefit/Cost Ratio). Mainly pencil-and-paper games in computer-think--and both quicker and more fun on a computer.

Pub Date: March 15, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1984

Categories: NONFICTION