Maria Nikopoulou
Giving and Receiving Love
How you express and how you receive love — through attachment theory
This is an original self-observation questionnaire, inspired by attachment theory (Bowlby, Ainsworth) and the related literature on care and affection. It is not identical to any commercially trademarked model; it uses its own wording and dimensions.
Attachment theory describes two core functions of love: the “safe haven” (having someone there for me in difficult moments) and the “secure base” (someone who supports me so I can explore the world with confidence). On these, we express and receive love through five channels: words, acts, physical tenderness, time/presence, and emotional availability.
For each channel, the test distinguishes how you GIVE from how you want to RECEIVE. When these two differ — or when you give far more easily than you allow yourself to receive — useful information emerges about your patterns in relationships.
Instruction: “Answer based on how you generally function in your close relationships. There are no right or wrong answers.” This is a self-awareness tool, not a clinical diagnosis.
These questionnaires are self-observation tools and are not a substitute for clinical diagnosis by a psychiatrist or another mental health professional.
How you express and how you receive love — through attachment theory
An original self-awareness tool: the ways you express your love and the ways you feel it most strongly when you receive it. We often give love the way we'd like to receive it — and that's where many misunderstandings in relationships are born.
1/20
I show my love by telling the other person what I appreciate and like about them.
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