Final answer:
Sternberg describes love as a personal construct and proposes the triangular theory of love with three components, intimacy, passion, and commitment, defining different types of relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sternberg describes love as a personal construct, a concept that individuals create out of their own cultural influences and perceptions of reality. According to Sternberg's triangular theory of love, a healthy relationship consists of three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. These elements form a triangle that can define multiple types of love relationships that might be more prevalent at different life stages.
Some different types of love identified by Sternberg include consummate love which is having intimacy, passion, and commitment; liking, which includes intimacy but no passion or commitment; infatuation, which is characterized by passion without intimacy or commitment; empty love, which is commitment alone without intimacy or passion; companionate love, which is intimacy and commitment but no passion; romantic love, consisting of passion and intimacy with no commitment; and finally, fatuous love, which has passion and commitment but lacks intimacy.