Saranghae: Love Languages and Romance Among K-Drama Viewers and Non-Viewers

Abstract

The Chapman theory of love languages identifies five types: acts of service, gift giving, physical touch, quality time, and words of affirmation. Individuals may prefer different love languages. Love language determines how one expresses their love and or the type of love they expect from others. With an understanding of the love language, one can communicate better which can bring more stability in the relationship. The purpose is to study the love language and romance among people K-dramas viewers and non-viewers. A total sample of (N= 60) 30 K-drama viewers and 30 non k-drama viewers. The Five Love Languages Test and The Scale of Myths of Romantic Love(SMRL) were used as scales to conduct the studies. The results found out that there is a no significant relationship between words of affirmation and romance, quality of time and romance and words of affirmation, receiving gifts and romance and words of affirmation, acts of service and romance and quality of time and receiving gifts, acts of service and romance and quality time and receiving gifts, physical touch and romance and words of affirmation and quality of time and receiving gifts. Additionally , the results found out that there is a significant negative relationship between receiving gifts and quality of time, between acts of service and words of affirmation, between physical touch and acts of service. These disparities imply that partners' perceptions and experiences of romance may differ due to misaligned priorities in their love languages. In the independent T-test, words of affirmation was marginally significant among non- viewers, suggesting that non-viewers seem to value words of affirmation more strongly than viewers. It is suggested that watching Korean dramas may enhance individuals' understanding of love languages and contribute to greater relationship satisfaction.