Curious about our psychological compatibility test? Here I explain the history of the test and how it was put together.
Choosing What to Measure
You are looking for a solid relationship and you are considering using a compatible match application. Understandably, you have some questions. The first question is, how does a psychologist choose what factors to assess to make informed predictions? In the development of tests, professional judgment guides the decision regarding which forms of evidence are most necessary and feasible. The basis for the decision is the intended use of the test.
My compatibility application is intended to predict romantic couplings that will be well-matched and are therefore likely to have significant relationship satisfaction.
Choosing Four Key Relationship Factors
The four factors were chosen based on two elements: my 30 years as a psychologist specializing in couples therapy, and the use of similar factors in well-established psychological instruments.
The four factors are:
- Social Behavior
- Dominant Behavior
- Submissive Behavior
- Intimate Behavior
Measuring Relationship Compatibility with Research
It was decided to go directly to the point and compare the four factor results with a test that measured marital satisfaction.
Research participants were married couples who were given the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and my matching tool. The DAS is a 32 item self-report measure. It has good reliability and has been used in many research studies with a wide variety of couples indicating good validity. The scale measures relationship satisfaction.
Could my instrument predict marital satisfaction as demonstrated by comparing favorably with the scores on the DAS?
The answer was a strong Yes!
High compatibility scores compared to the high scores on the DAS very favorably and had a negative relationship with the lowest DAS scorers suggesting a strong relationship between high compatibility as measured by my assessment and relationship satisfaction as measured by the DAS.
In essence, my compatibility application was able to predict marital satisfaction—and potential dissatisfaction.