Objective Whereas in the public discourse, a relation between self-love and love in a romantic relationship is assumed, the empirical evaluation of this claim needs to be included. Theoretical overlapping mechanisms between both concepts are provided. So, the study’s main goal was to investigate this relation empirically. Method Four hundred sixty participants (125 men and 335 women) were included in the analysis. They completed a demographic questionnaire, self-assessment of self-compassion, self-love, the triangular theory of love measurement, and satisfaction with the relationship scale. Results The results indicated that love in a romantic relationship is closely tied to self-love. However, only self-care and self-acceptance are significant predictors of passion, intimacy, and commitment. The third component of self-love, self-contact, was not a significant predictor. In an exploratory manner, satisfaction with relationships was investigated, revealing that, in addition to the components of love in a romantic relationship, self-compassion, but not self-love, predicts satisfaction. Discussion The study confirms, on the one hand, the public view that self-love is related to love in a romantic relationship; on the other hand, the results emphasize that this view must be differentiated. According to the results, it would be promising to investigate whether self-love training can improve love in a romantic relationship.
Jansen et al. (2026) studied this question.