The Lovebird Scale: A New Measure of Relationship Quality in Long-Lasting, Flourishing Relationships

People often use the term “lovebirds” to describe the ongoing loving behaviors and interactions between two romantic partners, but what specific relationship processes distinguish flourishing “lovebird” relationships from other adult committed long-term relationships? The present study aimed to address this knowledge gap through the development and validation of a new measure called the Lovebird Scale. To do this, we conducted three studies using data collected from 996 English-speaking, U.S. adults who reported being in a romantic relationship lasting at least 6 months (M = 11.2 years). In Study 1, we generated an item pool and conducted an exploratory factor analysis to determine the best performing items to retain. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor model (Mutuality, Romance, and Disconnect) nested within a higher-order factor representing overall lovebird relationships. In Study 3, we cross-validated the higher order structure and these data provide preliminary evidence for the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity properties of the Lovebird Scale. We also explored the relation between the Lovebird Scale and affective state, finding that lovebird relationships were associated with greater positive affect. We discuss how the Lovebird Scale relates to previous research on relationship functioning and how it can be used to further our understanding of relationship flourishing.