International Handbook of Love - Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives

The second revised and expanded edition of this successful handbook extensively explores the idea and practice of love from diverse cultural, psychological, and biological perspectives. It provides a comprehensive understanding of love by examining its various manifestations, cultural interpretations, and the underlying psychological and biological mechanisms that shape it. Notably, the book won the William B. Gudykunst Outstanding Book Award from the International Academy for Intercultural Research in July 2023, underscoring its scholarly excellence. 
The work is structured into several 11 key sections to cover the field comprehensively. It begins with an exploration of theories and concepts of love, followed by an examination of cultural interpretations and practices, and exploring the different forms and expressions of love, such as romantic love, familial love, platonic love, and self-love or friendship. Next, it addresses the dynamics of romantic relationships, exploring topics such as love and marriage, love in the digital age, and long-distance relationships. It also covers challenges and complications in love, including conflict, unrequited love, mental health issues, and the healing process after breakups. To reflect the evolving nature of love in contemporary society, the work includes a section on modern love and technology, discussing topics like love and artificial intelligence, cyberspace as a romantic culture, and the future of intimacy. It also examines love in later life. The handbook features contributions from a wide range of experts, including psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, relationship counsellors, therapists, and literary authors. This ensures a rich and varied perspective on the subject matter. Additionally, it serves as a valuable academic resource for educators, learners, and researchers in related fields. Through personal stories, literary excerpts, and philosophical discussions, the reference work also invites readers to reflect on their own experiences and beliefs about love, inspiring personal growth and deeper connections with others.
The handbook is an essential resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of love in its many forms and contexts, and provides a comprehensive guide that is both academically rigorous and accessible to a broad audience.

List of contents

Voicing The Stories Of Love Across Cultures.- The State Of Ethnological Research On Love.- Using an Evolutionary Approach to Study Romantic Love.- Love and Attraction in Adolescents.- Forbidden Love.- Correlates Of Love Across Relationship Types And Cultural Region.- The Expression of Compassionate Love In the South African Cultural Diversity Contexts.- Polyamory.- Love Tester Machines.- Love and AI.

About the author

Claude-Hélène Mayer is a Professor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a Semester at Sea Alumni (SASFA22) and a Board member of the International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR). Claude is a Senior Editor for the Europe`s Journal of Psychology (EJOP), an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Psychology (Positive Psychology) and for the International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management (IJCCM). She holds Doctoral degrees in Psychology, Management and Cultural Anthropology. Her Venia Legendi is in Psychology with focus on Work, Organisational and Cultural Psychology (Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder), Germany).
Claude`s research areas include transcultural mental health, salutogenesis, transcultural conflict management and mediation, women in leadership, emotions across cultures, The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and psychobiography. 
She is the winner of the William B. Gudykunst Book Award 2023 together with Elisabeth Vanderheiden for her „International Handbook of Love” (Springer). She has further won two Nautilus Silver Book Awards with special honours for academic rigor for the co-edited book “Women Empowerment for a Sustainable Future” and for her authored book “Unwrapping transcultural romantic love relationships” (both Springer publications). 
In 2025, Claude is ranked by Scopus Discovery as the top 1 researcher in the world for psychoiography. Her work reaches from psychobiographies on Paulo Coelho, Angela Merkel, Graçia Machel, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and Viktor Frankl to Elon R. Musk. She has steered non-WEIRD discourses into psychobiography, contributed to expand psychobiographies on women, and lead positive psychology discussions in psychobiography. She is a co-founder of the Psychobiography Forum together with Professor Paul Elovitz and Dr. Inna Rozentsvit (USA): https://psychobiographyforum.com/ 
Claude is a trained psychologist, systemic family therapist, hypnotherapist, constellation facilitator and intercultural mediator. Since 2005, she advices international companies and excutives in international leadership, intercultural communication and conflict management in organisations. 

Elisabeth Vanderheiden is a pedagogue, adult educator and researcher. She currently serves as the CEO of the Global Institute for Transcultural Research, an organisation dedicated to interdisciplinary research in culture, positive psychology, education, and societal matters. In addition, she is the CEO of the NeuroTech Centre for Advanced Research, where she explores intersections between neuroscience, ethics, and innovation. Vanderheiden also holds the title of President of Catholic Adult Education in Germany and is the Managing Director of a Catholic adult education organisation in Rhineland-Palatinate. She is the editor of ERWACHSENENBILDUNG, the largest German-language professional journal for adult education.
She has published numerous scientific books and articles. Her research interests range from shame as a resource, conflict, and love to andragogical research questions. She focuses particularly on cultural and transformative issues in the context of andragogy and positive psychology. Her work has received numerous awards, including the William B. Gudykunst Outstanding Book Award (together with Claude-Hélène Mayer) from the International Academy for Intercultural Research in July 2023  for the International Handbook of Love: Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives. Moreover, her book Empowerment for a Sustainable Future: Transcultural and Positive Psychology Perspectives (2024) received the Nautilus Award, Winner 2024, Special Honors: Academic Rigor.

Product details

• Assisted by: Claude-Hélène Mayer (Editor), Elisabeth Vanderheiden (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 18.05.2026
• EAN: 9783031945113
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3194511-3
• No. of pages: 2500
• Illustrations: Approx. 2500 p. 150 illus., 25 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology; Positive Psychologie, Gender Studies, Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie, Ethnographie, Gender Studies: Gruppen, positive psychology, Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Sociocultural Anthropology, Gender and Sexuality, love and health, family and love, LGBTQ relationships across cultures, love across the life span, globalisation and love, love in urban and rural settings, digitalisation and love, religion, spirituality and love, choice of love partners, love and other emotions