Zongpei Dai, Army Medical University, Chongqing, and Qin Dai, Army Medical University, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China
published in the Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Love and Relationship Studies, 6-8 March, 2026
You can see the full video recording of this presentation at the YouTube channel of the International Institute of Love Studies
Introduction
Fromm’s love theory posits that love is not merely an emotional state but a productive psychological capacity that enables individuals to overcome loneliness and achieve genuine interpersonal union. When a person has limited capacity to love, this brings undesirable personal and interpersonal outcomes.
Researchers have explored the capacity to love based on single relationship types, including the development of relationship-specific measures and clinical discussion, but they haven’t conceptualized the capacity to love(Kapusta et al., 2018; Kernberg, 2011). More importantly, capacity to love is a general psychological capacity operating across different types of intimate relationships (e.g., Milivojeviæ & Iveziæ, 2004; Xia, Chen, & Dunne, 2024), while few studies to verify it. To fill this gap, this study aimed to establish the theoretical framework of Meta-Capacity to Love (MC-Love) – the capacity to love across intimate relationships (e.g., parent-child, friends, couples)- by constructing its concept and components.
Methodology and Methods
First, for conceptual construction, a systematic literature analysis was conducted to identify eligible literature to extract conceptual characteristics of MC-Love. In the parallel, semi-structured interviews with young adults (aged 18-35 years, n = 27) were conducted to capture love experiences and viewpoints of love capacities across family, peer, romantic domains. Results from the literature analysis and interviews were integrated to formulate its conceptual definition.
Second, for component identification, candidate components were extracted as words or phrases from the contents of eligible literature. Three indicators were used to support component screening: (1) literature quality and (2) academic influence, indexing the scientific robustness and representativeness of source literature; and (3) component frequency, reflecting the cross-study salience of each candidate component. The percentile ranks of these three indicators were summed to generate a component quality score, serving as an objective reference for subsequent evaluations. Experts (n = 18) and young adults (aged 18-35 years, n = 125) then assessed the centrality and importance of candidate components as the capacity to love across intimate relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults (aged 18-35 years, n = 27) to explore behavioral patterns in intimate relationships, components of MC-Love were extracted through theme analysis.
Finally, all sources of evidence were jointly considered to determine the final components of MC-Love.
Highlights of Results
(1) Meta-Capacity to Love (MC-Love) was defined as the ability to perceive or express love across different intimate relationship types (e.g., parent-child, friends, and couples), which helps individuals establish and sustain family-, peer-, or romantic relationship.
(2) Seven MC-Love components that we identified were Care – the ability to value and protect the well-being of loved one, Respect – the ability to ensure that loved one could develop according to their own wishes without exploitation, Responsibility – the ability to fulfill obligations in intimate relationships on one’s own initiative, Knowledge – the ability to maintain a rational and objective understanding of the loved one, Trust – the ability to sincerely self-disclosure, Acceptance – the ability to accept, tolerate and forgive another in intimate relationships, Responsiveness – the ability to actively respond to the loved one’s explicit or unexpressed needs).
Discussion and Conclusions
This study used systematic literature analysis, content assessment, and semi-structured interviews to conceptualize Meta-Capacity to Love (MC-Love) and empirically construct seven components for the first time. Theoretically, the study clarifies MC-Love concept and components, broadens Fromm’s theoretical perspectives. Seven MC-Love components are beneficial to develop corresponding assessment and interventions. Practically, it provides scientific guidance for improving relationship quality, enhancing personal mental health and subjective well-being, and finally promoting social harmony.
Keywords: Meta-capacity to love; perceive love; express love; relationship quality
References
Kapusta, N. D., Jankowski, K. S., Wolf, V., Chéron-Le Guludec, M., Lopatka, M., Hammerer, C.,… Blüml, V. (2018). Measuring the capacity to love: development of the CTL-inventory. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1115
Kernberg, O. F. (2011). Limitations to the capacity to love. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 92(6), 1501-1515
Milivojeviæ, L., & Iveziæ, S. (2004). Importance of object relations theories for development of capacity for mature love. Croatian Medical Journal, 45, 18-23
Xia, M., Chen, Y., & Dunne, S. (2024). What makes people feel loved? An exploratory study on core elements of love across family, romantic, and friend relationships. Family Process,63(3), 1304-1318