Love as Caring Maturity: A New Approach to Love in Couple’s Relationships based on the Critique of Sternberg's Theory

"Love" is one of the vital needs of humanity and one of the most important motivations for the family formation and its preservation. However, as mentioned by the experts, among other factors, a misunderstanding of the concept of “love” has put family at risk. The main goal of the present study is to provide an analytical overview of the concept of “love” in couple relationships, particularly by emphasizing on a criticism Sternberg’s theories (“love triangle" and "Love story”) and present a new approach: “Love as Caring Maturity”. The method of the present qualitative research is based on the herméneutique and critical paradigm and the data deduced from literature review which were investigated using the thematic analysis approach. In this approach, based on neoclassical theories of rationality, "True love" is the product of rationality with all three cognitive, emotional, and intentional capacities, and although influenced by unconscious patterns and schemas, it is a multifaceted, selective phenomenon possessed by “adult ego state”. In this paper, a distinction is made between the concepts of “love” and “pseudo-love” and it is attempted to propose a more comprehensive picture of the meaning of true love in the relationships of couples by suggesting the “love pyramid” approach with a “caring maturity” vertex behind "tend to intimacy", "biological basics", and "decision to commitment". Research findings showed that the "Maturity" element has four domains of consciousness; and "Caring" element has three areas; and "Caring maturity" has five aspects.