THE FEELINGS OF LOVE AND EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY AMONG PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWD): A PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT VIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1163067Keywords:
Psychological Aspects, Emotional Dependency, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), Love, Romantic RelationshipAbstract
This concept paper examines the psychological dimensions of romantic love and emotional dependency among Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), or Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) in Malaysia. It draws on the Triangular Theory of Love, which describes love as comprising intimacy, passion, and commitment (Sternberg, 1986). Romantic love is recognized as a significant component of socio-emotional development and quality of life. There is limited research on romantic love and emotional dependency on PWD compared to non-disabled persons. Many studies mainly focus on the socioeconomic issues among PWD, which has caused a significant gap in the field of romantic love and emotional dependency among PWD. The conceptual foundation of this concept paper is based on the three fundamental aspects of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. These are derived from Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love (1986) and are augmented by four additional aspects: attraction, connection, trust, and respect. Therefore, seven aspects are used to form this study. Based on the thematic review from existing literature, this concept paper aims to (1) explore the feelings of love among PWD, (2) explore the emotional dependency among PWD, and (3) develop a conceptual framework to demonstrate the depth of romantic love and emotional dependency in PWD. PWDs are as capable of experiencing love as non-disabled people. However, they also face psychosocial challenges and are commonly misunderstood in the context of romantic love. This evidence supports the aims of this concept paper. Thus, by applying Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, a classical approach among PWD, who are excluded from traditional relationship research, highlights the novelty of this study. Overall, this study extends conceptual frameworks by applying Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love to examine how attachment influences relationship satisfaction. It also offers insights relevant to counseling, policy development, and further research on PWDs (Madey & Rodgers, 2009).
Downloads
References
Arias, B., Ovejero, A., & Morentin, R. (2009). Love and Emotional Well-being in People with Intellectual Disabilities. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 204–216. https://doi.org/10.1017/s113874160000161x
Barber, C. (2011). Sexuality, Relationships and People with a Learning Disability. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 5(12), 592–595. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjha.2011.5.12.592
Bates, C., Terry, L., & Popple, K. (2016). The importance of romantic love to people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 45(1), 64–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12177
Bollier, A.-M., King, T., Austin, S. B., Shakespeare, T., Spittal, M., & Kavanagh, A. (2019). Does sexual orientation vary between disabled and non-disabled men? findings from a population-based study of men in Australia. Disability & Society, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1689925
Cole, J. (2014). Intimacy; views from impairment and neuroscience. Emotion, Space and Society, 13, 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2014.01.001
Collins, W. A., Welsh, D. P., & Furman, W. (2009). Adolescent Romantic Relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 631–652. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163459
Damianidou, E. (2021). Care in the context of disability: a tool for (in)dependence and (dis)empowerment. Disability & Society, 38(5), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2021.1963681
Dr Katie Ellis. (2015). Disability and Popular Culture. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Friedman, C. (2019). Intimate Relationships of People With Disabilities. Inclusion, 7(1), 41–56. https://doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-7.1.41
Gerlach, T. M., & Reinhard, S. K. (2018). Personality and Romantic Attraction. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_717-1
Glass, C., & Soni, B. (1999). ABC of sexual health: Sexual problems of disabled patients. BMJ, 318(7182), 518–521. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7182.518
Hartman, C., MacIntosh, B., & Englehardt, B. (1983). The Neglected and Forgotten Sexual Partner of the Physically Disabled. Social Work, 28(5), 370–374. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/28.5.370
Hatfield, E., & Rapson, R. L. (2006). Love and passion. Textbook of female sexual dysfunction, 93-97.
Hatfield, E., & Sprecher, S. (1986). Measuring passionate love in intimate relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 9(4), 383–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-1971(86)80043-4
Hill, T. E. (2019). Ideals of Appreciation and Expressions of Respect. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Disability, 362–379. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190622879.013.46
Ignagni, E., Fudge Schormans, A., Liddiard, K., & Runswick-Cole, K. (2016). “Some people are not allowed to love”: intimate citizenship in the lives of people labelled with intellectual disabilities. Disability & Society, 31(1), 131–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2015.1136148
Kor, B. M. H., Chua, H. Q., & Imran, M. A. (2022). Exploring the societal views towards ASD and its impact on the quality of life of ASD individuals in Malaysia (Doctoral dissertation, UTAR).
Lesseliers, J., & Van Hove, G. (2002). Barriers to the Development of Intimate Relationships and the Expression of Sexuality among People with Developmental Disabilities: Their Perceptions. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 27(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.2511/rpsd.27.1.69
Man, M., Rojahn, J., Chrosniak, L., & Sanford, J. (2006). College Students’ Romantic Attraction Toward Peers with Physical Disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 18(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9004-x
Mattila, J., Määttä, K., & Uusiautti, S. (2016). “Everyone needs love” – an interview study about perceptions of love in people with intellectual disability (ID). International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 22(3), 296–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2016.1167749
Mattila, J., Uusiautti, S., & Määttä, K. (2017). How do people with intellectual disability describe the experience of falling in love? © 2017 CRES, 9(1), 71–84. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/18279/1/v1i9p5.pdf
Morales, G. E., Lopez, E. O., Castro, C., Charles, D. J., Mezquita, Y. N., & Mullet, E. (2015). Conceptualization of Romantic Love Among Adults with Down’s Syndrome. Sexuality and Disability, 33(3), 339–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-014-9368-2
Oktay, J. S., & Tompkins, C. J. (2004). Personal Assistance Providers’ Mistreatment of Disabled Adults. Health & Social Work, 29(3), 177–188. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/29.3.177
Perkins, R., & Dilks, S. (1992). Worlds apart: Working with severely socially disabled people. Journal of Mental Health, 1(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638239209034507
Post, M. W. M., Bloemen, J., & de Witte, L. P. (2005). Burden of support for partners of persons with spinal cord injuries. Spinal Cord, 43(5), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101704
Robinson, S., & Idle, J. (2022). Loneliness and how to counter it: People with intellectual disability share their experiences and ideas. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 48(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2022.2112510
Ruiz, D., Kriofske Mainella, A., & Rosenthal, D. A. (2023). The pursuit of intimacy: intimate relationship development for women with physical disabilities. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 4, 1070501.
Schembri Lia, E., & Abela, A. (2019). The couple relationship when the female partner has an acquired physical disability. The History of the Family, 25(2), 265–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/1081602x.2019.1663549
Shakespeare, T., Ndagire, F., & Seketi, Q. E. (2021). Triple jeopardy: Disabled People and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Lancet, 397(10282), 1331–1333. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00625-5
Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A Triangular Theory of Love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-295x.93.2.119
Tobore, T. (2018). On the Principles of Social Gravity: How Human Systems Work, from the Family to the United Nations. Delaware, DE: Vernon Press
Whitehouse, R., Chamberlain, P., & O’Brien, A. (2001). Increasing Social Interactions for People with More Severe Learning Disabilities Who Have Difficulty Developing Personal Relationships. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 5(3), 209–220. https://doi.org/10.1177/146900470100500301
Zewude, B., & Habtegiorgis, T. (2021). Willingness of youth without disabilities to have romantic love and marital relationships with persons with disabilities. Life Sciences, Society and Policy, 17(1).
