Split Attraction Model
According to the split attraction model, how someone experiences attraction can be split into categories. For some people romantic and sexual attraction are distinctly different experiences. The split attraction model recognizes that sexual and romantic orientations are not the same for some people. This paradigm recognizes that people can experience sexual and romantic attraction differently.
History
The first recorded conceptualization of orientation that took into account split attraction was in 1879 by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, a German writer who published 12 books on non-heterosexual attraction. In these books, Ulrichs has presented several classifications that are quite similar to modern LGBTQIA+ identities. Among his works, he described people who are "konjunktiver Uranodioning" and "disjunktiver Uranodioning" or conjunctive bisexuality and disjunctive bisexuality. The former is described as having tender and passionate feelings for both men and women, which would be a biromantic bisexual in modern times. The second is one who has tender feelings for people of the same gender/sex, but 'in love' feelings for people of a different gender/sex, which would now be a heteroromantic homosexual. However, the Ulrichs model never became popular due to its complexity.
A newer example of the separation of sexual and romantic attractions was in 1979 by psychologist Dorothy Tennov, with the publication of her book Love and Limerence – the Experience of Being in Love. In the book, Tennov described limerence as a form of attraction that could be described as a crush on someone. Although Tennov saw sex as part of limerence, she recognized that it was not its main focus. The term "non-limerent" is sometimes considered the precursor of aromantic.
The modern concept of the split attraction model was coined by the asexual and aromantic communities to better describe their identities within the community and to others. The term likely emerged around 2015, though the concept of split attractions had been in use since the origination of the term aromantic in 2005. The model helps people explain how they can still experience certain aspects of one attraction without the need for the other to be a match. A recent research study looked deeper into the relationships of asexuals to help explain how people still form meaningful connections, despite deviance of societal norms.
Relationships formed by people that identify under the split attraction model are often considered outside the norm and may include forms of committed friendships or intimate non-romantic relationships such as queerplatonic relationships.
In a practical application of the model, people of the community commonly refer to themselves by two terms to indicate the differing romantic and sexual attraction; examples include aromantic asexual, colloquially shortened aro-ace, panromantic demisexual or aromantic bisexual.[1][13] Specific terms exist, such as varioriented and perioriented, describing those with different or similar orientations, respectively. For example, a homoromantic bisexual would be varioriented, while a heteroromantic heterosexual would be labeled as perioriented.
Modern Day Definition
The model was created by the asexual community as a way to help define their orientation more specifically. For some, it is an essential part of their identity. The model can help explain individuals who are asexual yet still experience romantic attraction. The purpose of the split attraction model was to help individuals understand themselves better and to have a framework to communicate this to others. Some find the model to be empowering, since it provides descriptive vocabulary that more accurately represents who they are.
Individuals in the asexual community can find their asexuality to be an important part of who they are. The model allows them to separate these orientations and emphasizes that the sexual and romantic attractions can be equally important experiences. The model also can help members of a potentially marginalized group feel a stronger sense of community. To some, belonging to a like-minded group of people is important. Also, some find the model to be validating, as it normalizes asexual and aromantic experiences in a culture that emphasizes sex and romance.
There are multiple ways individuals can experience their attraction orientation. The prefix of the sexual orientation is utilized for defining the romantic identification as well. People can experience romantic and sexual attraction to the opposite gender, both genders, the same gender, or no gender. If they are asexual and feel romantic attraction to the same gender, they would identify as asexual homoromantic. Or, they could identify as asexual and gay/lesbian. In this model, both their romantic and sexual attraction are expressed.
https://www.gsrc.princeton.edu/split-attraction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_attraction_model#