The WLI as a Tool for Understanding Social Love: Factors Promoting and Hindering It at the Micro and Macro Levels

In what ways can social love be characterized within both micro and macro contexts? This study addresses this question by exploring social love using the World Love Index (WLI) as an analytical tool. The index is articulated into two levels, the Citizens’ WLI and the Institutions’ WLI, corresponding respectively to the micro and macro levels of analysis. Both indices are based on a stipulative definition of social love that comprises four constituent dimensions and are constructed from secondary data from approximately 90 countries worldwide. The WLI indices are analyzed using regression models incorporating contextual variables to identify the main factors that promote or hinder social love. A cluster analysis is also conducted to identify and characterize groups of countries with similar configurations of social love, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.