150 ETHNOLOGY 1988: Fisher 1987; Tennov 1984). These researchers argue that humans have evolved the propensity to experience romantic love which can be recognized by a sudden, unrestrained passion often resulting in the individual entering into an immediate. if short term. commitment. In this view romantic love centers on a biological core that is expressed as love and enacted in courtship(Perper 1985) Concurring, Liebowitz(1983)draws upon biochemical research that suggests that the giddiness, euphoria, optimism, and energy lovers experience in early stages of infatuation is caused by increased levels of phenylethylamine (PEA),an amphetamine-related compound that produces mood-lifting and energizing effects (also see Fisher 1987). This evolutionary perspective suggests that romantic love arises from forces within the hominid brain that are independent of the socially constructed mind. From this perspective, romantic love must be present, in som form or another, within every culture This paper draws upon Murdock and White's(1969 )Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS) of 186 societies in order to identify those cultures in which romantic love, at least within the domain of private experience is present or absent. Unlike in the previous holocultural studies, whereby only the normative sphere was examined we focused on both the idiosyncratic and the normative for evidence of romantic love presence. By romantic love we mean any intense attraction that involves the idealization of the other, within an erotic context, with the expectation of enduring for some time into the future"(see Lindholm 1988. Romantic love stands in sharp contrast to the companionship phase of love (sometimes referred to as attachment) which is characterized by the growth of a more peaceful, comfortable, and fulfilling relationship; it is a strong and enduring affection built upon long term association (Hatfield 1988; Liebowitz 1983) METHODOLOGY The data for this project come primarily from the works recommended in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS). By first consulting these authorities, we sought to control for Galtons problem Our research procedure was to first, examine the collective works of the ethnographic authorities recommended by murdock and White. If that material proved vague and therefore inconclusive, we then analyzed, whenever possible, the culture's folklore. When no folklore was available other supplemental ethnographies were examined, provided that the culture's subsistence system, social structure, and cosmological system had not undergone any significant transformation. For example, because Lizot(1985 )and Chagnon(1983 )both orked among unacculturated yanomamo, Lizot's account of Yanomamo love experience is cited as confirmation that romantic love was not an unknown subsistence base bears only a faint resemblance to the previous generation.The fact that Stearman(1987)found evidence of romantic love among contemporary town-d welling Siriono does not mean that some of the forest dwelling Siriono alse experienced romantic love. Consequently, her study could not be used to supplement Holmberg's(1969)account. a culture was dropped from our sample if: (1)there was no reliable or relevant source material available; (2) the SCCS's primary or supplemental authorities did150 ETHNOLOGY 1988; Fisher 1987; Tennov 1984). These researchers argue that humans have evolved the propensity to experience romantic love which can be recognized by a sudden, unrestrained passion often resulting in the individual entering into an immediate, if short term, commitment. In this view romantic love centers on a biological core that is expressed as love and enacted in courtship (Perper 1985). Concurring, Liebowitz (1983) draws upon biochemical research that suggests that the giddiness, euphoria, optimism, and energy lovers experience in early stages of infatuation is caused by increased levels of phenylethylamine (PEA), an amphetamine-related compound that produces mood-lifting and energizing effects (also see Fisher 1987). This evolutionary perspective suggests that romantic love arises from forces within the hominid brain that are independent of the socially constructed mind. From this perspective, romantic love must be present, in some form or another, within every culture. This paper draws upon Murdock and White's (1969) Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS) of 186 societies in order to identify those cultures in which romantic love, at least within the domain of private experience, is present or absent. Unlike in the previous holocultural studies, whereby only the normative sphere was examined, we focused on both the idiosyncratic and the normative for evidence of romantic love presence. By romantic love we mean any intense attraction that involves the idealization of the other, within an erotic context, with the expectation of enduring for some time into the future2 (see Lindholm 1988). Romantic love stands in sharp contrast to the companionship phase of love (sometimes referred to as attachment) which is characterized by the growth of a more peaceful, comfortable, and fulfilling relationship; it is a strong and enduring affection built upon long term association (Hatfield 1988; Liebowitz 1983). METHODOLOGY The data for this project come primarily from the works recommended in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS). By first consulting these authorities, we sought to control for Galton's problem. Our research procedure was to first, examine the collective works of the ethnographic authorities recommended by Murdock and White. If that material proved vague and therefore inconclusive, we then analyzed, whenever possible, the culture's folklore. When no folklore was available, other supplemental ethnographies were examined, provided that the culture's subsistence system, social structure, and cosmological system had not undergone any significant transformation. For example, because Lizot (1985) and Chagnon (1983) both worked among unacculturated Yanomamo, Lizot's account of Yanomamo love experience is cited as confirmation that romantic love was not an unknown experience. On the other hand, the present-day Siriono social organization and subsistence base bears only a faint resemblance to the previous generation. The fact that Stearman (1987) found evidence of romantic love among contemporary town-dwelling Siriono does not mean that some of the forest dwelling Siriono also experienced romantic love. Consequently, her study could not be used to supplement Holmberg's (1969) account. A culture was dropped from our sample if: (1) there was no reliable or relevant source material available; (2) the SCCS's primary or supplemental authorities did