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Kappasinian E&P Theory
Analytical or Physical? The E&P Theory of Sexual Personality
Dr. John Kappas, founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, taught that people have an Emotional or a Physical sexual personality, and that most of us are a mix. Learn how his theory works and why it matters in relationships, then take our new test or the original he wrote. Both give you an instant, personalized interpretation.
Free · Two tests · Instant interpretation · Confidential
Emotional or Analytical? Same type, two names
Dr. Kappas called the two types Emotional and Physical. In our own writing we say Analytical for the Emotional type, because it describes how those people tend to approach attraction. It is the same type. When this page talks about Dr. Kappas’ theory, its history, or his classic test, we use his word, Emotional. Everywhere else, including the new test and its results, we say Analytical.
The theory in brief
Two sexual personalities, and most of us are a mix
Dr. Kappas’ E&P theory says people tend to lean one of two ways in love: Emotional or Physical. (At Hypnotechs we call the Emotional type Analytical; see why below.) It describes how you give and receive affection, how you handle feelings, and what you need to feel secure in a relationship. Neither type is better. Most people sit somewhere on a scale between the two, and the theory says the partner who balances you sits on the opposite side.
Your sexual personality
Whether you lean Analytical (what Dr. Kappas called Emotional), Physical, or sit near the Centered middle of the scale.
Who balances you
Which position on the scale is most likely to balance yours, and why two of the same type tend to become friends or competitors.
How you connect
Whether sex means love or romance to you, and how you tend to give and receive affection.
Personalized results, not a form letter
Both tests give you a written interpretation of your exact result, not the same canned paragraph everyone in a category gets. It reflects how strongly you lean, what that means for how you give and receive love, and who is likely to balance you.
Why two tests
Why this page has two tests, and why we wrote our own
Dr. Kappas’ original questionnaire is a piece of hypnotherapy history. We keep it on this page exactly as he wrote it, for anyone who wants to see the real thing.
But it was written for its time. Its wording assumes a traditional relationship, and many people today have to translate the questions to fit their own lives. So we wrote a new test from the same theory: new questions and new scoring, in plain, contemporary, inclusive language, built to arrive at the same conclusion as the original. Where do you fall between Analytical and Physical?
The new test is the one we recommend. The original stays here as an archive for anyone who is curious about it.
Credit where it’s due
The theory, and the idea behind both tests, belong to Dr. John Kappas. He described it in his book Relationship Strategies: The E&P Attraction (John G. Kappas, Ph.D., Panorama Publishing, 1992). The new test was written by Hypnotechs and is not an official HMI product. The classic test is Dr. Kappas’ own, and Hypnotechs uses it with permission, as graduates of HMI, the school he founded.
Before you start
Four tips for accurate results
Pick your test
We recommend the new test. The classic test comes in two versions; if you take it, choose the one that most closely matches how you identify sexually.
Go with your gut
Take your time reading each question, then answer with your first response. The less you think about it, the better.
Think of a settled relationship
If you’re single, in the “honeymoon” phase, or in the painful stage that sometimes ends a relationship, answer based on a previous, settled relationship instead.
Compare with your partner
The results are meant to be shared. Have your partner take a test too, then compare where you each fall on the scale. A tool to compare two scores side by side is coming soon.
Your answers are confidential
Some questions are very personal. We never share or sell your answers, and all responses, including your name and email if you choose to give them, are treated as confidential client data. Hypnotechs clients: enter your name and email so we can discuss your results in your first session.
A note on the language
The new test uses plain, contemporary, inclusive wording. The classic test is presented as Dr. Kappas designed it, and some of its language reflects its era and assumes a traditional relationship. If your relationship, sexuality or gender doesn’t fit that mold, the results are still valuable; you may just need to translate them a little to fit your world. No offense is meant by the original wording.
The tests
Take the test
Open the test you want below. Answer with your first, gut response. There are no right or wrong answers, and your personalized interpretation appears as soon as you finish.
RecommendedThe new test, designed by Hypnotechs
Written by Hypnotechs from Dr. Kappas’ theory, with new questions and new scoring.
ArchiveThe classic test, written by Dr. John Kappas
The original questionnaire and scoring, as Dr. Kappas wrote them. Some of its language reflects its era; see the note on language above.
Took the test with a partner? Compare your two results and see how your styles fit together.
The E&P scale
Analytical and Physical sexuality: a scale, not a box
Dr. Kappas named the two ends of his scale “Emotional” and “Physical”. At Hypnotechs we call the Emotional end Analytical, because it describes the type far better. No one is 100% either way: your result shows how strongly you lean, and people near the middle are Centered.
Why we say “Analytical” instead of “Emotional”
Picture someone who keeps their feelings to themselves, thinks before they act, and needs time alone to recharge. Most people wouldn’t call that person “emotional,” yet that’s the type Dr. Kappas named Emotional. Because his original label so often leads people to misread their own result, Hypnotechs uses Analytical throughout. It’s the same type Dr. Kappas described, with a name that fits how most people use the word today.
Compatibility
E&P compatibility: your ideal match balances you
The Kappasinian Sexuality model prizes balance. Wherever you are on the scale, the theory says your ideal partner sits the same distance from the center on the opposite side.
…and so on: the further you are from the center, the further your balancing partner is on the other side.
Two Analyticals: competitors
Two Analyticals together often become competitors, each holding back and waiting for the other to move first.
Two Physicals: friends
It doesn’t have to be this way, but according to the theory, two Physicals together tend to become friends more than lovers.
The balancing effect
If you’re with someone who doesn’t offset your position, one or both of you will start to show traits that bring the relationship back into balance.
The bottom line
If you take away only one thing, let it be this: no matter where you are on the scale, your ideal match is the one who balances you out.
The two types
Analytical (Emotional) vs. Physical sexuality
In the Kappasinian model, the two types differ in what draws them to a partner, how they show their feelings, and how they handle closeness, conflict and rejection. The traits below come from Dr. Kappas’ own Sexuality questionnaire and teaching, in plain modern wording.
Analytical sexuality
The Analytical
An Analytical is drawn to the mind first.
An Analytical, called an Emotional in Dr. Kappas’ original terms, tends to keep feelings in and is drawn to a partner’s mind first.
- First attracted to a person’s mind and intellect
- Needs time alone
- The build-up can feel bigger than the moment itself
- Would rather not put feelings into words during or right after intimacy
- Wants things settled before getting close again after an argument
- Can hold on to resentment after a fight
- Pushes back when asked to commit before they’re ready
- Interest can fade as the newness of a relationship wears off
- Finds frequent requests for reassurance tiring
Physical sexuality
The Physical
A Physical is drawn to touch and closeness.
A Physical tends to show feelings openly and is drawn to touch and closeness.
- Wants to stay close and be held after intimacy
- Usually the first to make up after a disagreement
- Sees getting close again as a good way to make up
- Can be more jealous or possessive than their partner
- Feels rejection as real, physical hurt
- Makes the relationship their number one priority
- Likes to share most activities and hobbies with their partner
- After a breakup, their thoughts keep drifting back
Not about gender
In Kappas’ model, men and women are split about evenly between the two types. A Kappasinian retitling of a well-known bestseller might be “Analyticals are from Mars, Physicals are from Venus”. Dr. Kappas also applied the E&P idea to suggestibility, which you can explore with our free suggestibility test.
The origin
Dr. John Kappas and the E&P theory
Dr. John G. Kappas was one of the most influential figures in modern hypnotherapy. In 1968 he founded the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI). In 1973 he wrote and defined the profession of “Hypnotherapist” for the U.S. Dictionary of Occupational Titles. He also founded the American Hypnosis Association and the Hypnotherapists Union Local 472.
His E&P model describes people along a single Emotional–Physical scale. He applied it to how a person takes in suggestion, and to how people give and receive love and who is likely to balance them. He laid out the sexual personality side in his book Relationship Strategies: The E&P Attraction (John G. Kappas, Ph.D., Panorama Publishing, 1992), and it remains a core tool in Kappasinian relationship counseling.
About the classic test
The 40 questions in each version of the classic test were written by Dr. John Kappas and are scored according to his formula. We don’t claim them as our own: Hypnotechs uses them with permission, as graduates of HMI, the school he founded. What we’ve added is a clean, modern, mobile-friendly experience; an immediate, personalized interpretation of every result, drawn from Dr. Kappas’ writings; and the clearer term Analytical in place of “Emotional”. The original version is available on the HMI website. The new test is a separate Hypnotechs work, built on the same theory.
The research
What the research says about compatibility
E&P Sexuality is a practitioner’s model, widely taught in hypnotherapy training and used in counseling, but its compatibility predictions have not been tested in peer-reviewed research. It’s worth knowing how it lines up with what relationship science has found:
- “Opposites attract” has weak support. The idea that people seek partners who complement them has been studied for decades, and the evidence is limited. Studies more consistently find that people are drawn to partners who share their values and attitudes.
- Balance can still matter. Many couples do divide roles and needs in complementary ways, such as one partner who seeks closeness and one who needs space. The E&P model gives couples a simple language for talking about those differences.
- What predicts lasting satisfaction is mostly how partners treat each other: communication, how conflict is handled, commitment, and personality traits such as emotional stability and agreeableness.
The most useful way to treat your result is as a conversation starter, not a verdict. For a research-backed look at how your personalities fit together, try our Big Five compatibility comparison.
FAQ
Sexual personality tests: common questions
What is the E&P theory of sexual personality?
It’s a theory developed by Dr. John Kappas, founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI). It says people tend to lean Analytical (Dr. Kappas called this type Emotional) or Physical in how they give and receive affection and handle feelings, and that most people are a mix somewhere on a scale between the two.
What do the tests tell me?
Where you fall on the Analytical to Physical scale, how strongly you lean, and which kind of partner is likely to balance you. As soon as you finish, you get a personalized interpretation written for your exact result, not a generic form letter.
Which test should I take?
Most people should take the new Hypnotechs test. It’s shorter (30 questions, about 8 minutes) and uses plain, contemporary, inclusive wording. Take the classic test if you want Dr. Kappas’ original questions exactly as he wrote them.
Why does Hypnotechs have its own test?
Dr. Kappas’ original questionnaire was written for its time, and its wording assumes a traditional relationship. Many people had to translate the questions to fit their lives. So we wrote a new test from the same theory, with new questions and new scoring, in plain, inclusive language, built to reach the same conclusion. We kept the original too, as an archive.
Is the new test an official HMI test?
No. The theory and the credit belong to Dr. Kappas. The new test was written by Hypnotechs from that theory and is not an official HMI product. The classic test is Dr. Kappas’ own, and Hypnotechs uses it with permission, as graduates of HMI.
How many questions are in each test?
The new test has 30 questions and takes about 8 minutes. The classic test has 40 questions and comes in two versions; choose the one that most closely matches how you identify sexually.
Will the two tests give me the same result?
They are built on the same theory and aim at the same conclusion, but they use different questions and scoring, so your numbers won’t match exactly. If they land on opposite sides, take that as a sign that you sit near the middle of the scale.
What is the difference between Analytical and Physical sexual personality?
An Analytical, whom Dr. Kappas called Emotional, is drawn to the mind first: they hold feelings in, need time alone and end relationships more easily. A Physical is drawn to touch and closeness: they hate rejection, show feelings openly and find it hard to let go of relationships.
Who is my most compatible partner in the E&P model?
According to the theory, your ideal partner balances you out. A Strong Analytical pairs best with a Strong Physical, a Moderate Analytical with a Moderate Physical, and so on.
What happens when two Analyticals or two Physicals are together?
The theory says two Analyticals often become competitors, and two Physicals tend to become friends. Over time, one or both partners usually start to show traits that bring the relationship back into balance.
Should my partner take the test too?
Yes. The results are meant to be shared, so have your partner take a test and compare where you each fall on the scale. Then use our free couples comparison to see how your two results fit together.
What if I’m not in a relationship right now?
Answer based on a previous, settled relationship. Do the same if you’re in a brand-new relationship still in the “honeymoon” phase, or in a painful stage that might end it.
Do the tests work for LGBTQ+ and non-traditional relationships?
Yes. The new test uses inclusive wording and doesn’t assume your gender or your partner’s. The classic test is presented as Dr. Kappas wrote it, and some of its language assumes a traditional relationship, but the principles still apply. Choose the version that most closely matches how you identify, and translate the results to fit your world.
Are my answers confidential?
Yes. We never share or sell your answers, and all responses, including your name and email if you give them, are treated as confidential client data.
Who created the E&P theory and the tests?
Dr. John Kappas, founder of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI), developed the theory and described it in his book Relationship Strategies: The E&P Attraction (Panorama Publishing, 1992). He wrote the classic questionnaire and its scoring formula, which Hypnotechs uses with permission. Hypnotechs wrote the new test.
Are the tests free?
Yes. Both tests are completely free, including your personalized interpretation, and you do not need an account to take either one.
More from Dr. Kappas’ work
Curious how you take in suggestion? Find out whether you’re Analytically or Physically suggestible with the free suggestibility test, which also gives an instant, personalized interpretation.
The E&P theory was developed by Dr. John G. Kappas. The classic questionnaire is his and is used with permission. The new test was written by Hypnotechs from his theory and is not an official HMI product. Both tests are designed for self-reflection and education and are not clinical or diagnostic assessments or relationship advice.