WORK AND LOVE IN ADULT LIFE - A TOOL FOR STRUCTURING REFLECTION

Work and love are central social and psychological forces that structu re and give meaning to adult life. They have been studied extensively, usually separately, although recent at attention has been given to th e stress related to balancing the two. Missing from the literature is work on the more fundamental question of the, relationship or interact ion of one domain with the, other. This article reports on the develop ment of a technique to assess the interaction of work and love in adul t life, and how its use with over 400 adults uncovered three distinct patterns of interaction. Comments from respondents about the insights gained into their lives from using the work and love form suggest that it can be a powerful tool in counseling and educational interventions . In particular, the instrument appears to provide a structure for the life review.