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Johnson, K. R., & Holmes, B. M. (2009). Contradictory messages: A content analysis of romantic comedy scripts. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 53(3), 451–467.

Illouz, E. (2019). The end of love: A sociology of negative relations . Oxford University Press.

Mar, R. A. (2011). The neural bases of social cognition and story comprehension. Annual Review of Psychology , 62, 103–134. -WWW. SEXINSEX. NET-- -

romantic narratives, relationships, media psychology, narrative archetypes, cultural scripts, attachment theory 1. Introduction From Shakespeare’s sonnets to Netflix’s Bridgerton , romantic storylines have persistently captured human imagination. Approximately 65% of global box office hits include a central or subplot romance (MBFC, 2022). Yet scholarly attention often treats romance as either a trivial genre or a universal given. This paper argues that romantic storylines are complex narrative technologies —deliberately constructed sequences that model, provoke, and often prescribe relational behaviors.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Vol. 1: Attachment . Basic Books. Johnson, K

| Era | Example | Structure | Consent Cues | |------|---------|-----------|---------------| | Classic Hollywood (1940s) | The Philadelphia Story | Accidental encounter, verbal sparring | Implied, often ignored refusal | | Rom-Com Boom (1990s) | Notting Hill | Awkward stumble, celebrity/ordinary | Clear invitation (coffee offer) | | Streaming (2020s) | Starstruck | Post-hookup meet-cute, gender-reversed | Explicit negotiation of terms |

MBFC (Media and Behavior in Fiction Consortium). (2022). Romance in global cinema: A quantitative report . MBFC Press. (2009)

Kuzmicová, A. (2021). The narrative psychology of enemies-to-lovers: Affect, empathy, and the revaluation of conflict. Poetics Today , 42(2), 245–268.