With profound sadness, the Institute of Love Studies shares news that Ellen Berscheid, an American social psychologist and one of the pioneering researchers in the studies of love and interpersonal relationships, passed away on May 22, 2025.

Ellen S. Berscheid (1936-2025), a distinguished figure in social psychology, significantly influenced our understanding of interpersonal attraction, love, and close relationships. Her innovative research, in collaboration with her prominent colleague Elaine Hatfield (formerly Walster), substantially contributed to relationship science and established it as a legitimate scientific field of research.

Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), colleagues in Social Psychology, and public media published tributes to her life and scholarly achievements.

The Diversity of Love Journal has published a Tribute for Ellen Berscheid, a Prominent Researcher in the Social Psychology of Love and Relationship where you can read more about her outstanding contributions to the psychological explorations of love.