THE SCIENCE OF A SHARED LIFE

Two people.
One life.
More to understand.

When two people face the same problem, how similarly do they see it—and does that matter for the life they build together? We’re developing a study to find out.

In development. No compatibility scores or predictions.

SIMILARITY Where do we think alike?

COMPATIBILITY Can our priorities coexist?

COOPERATION How do we work together?

THE QUESTION BEHIND THE PROJECT

The same situation.
How similar is your thinking?

Our central hypothesis is that similarity in problem-solving may be especially important for later relationship outcomes. We will test four areas against a broader set of relationship facets. Its importance is a question, not an established finding.

Decisions

Choosing a response

Given the same problem, do partners independently choose similar next steps?

Plans

Evaluating a plan

Do partners give similar weight to a plan’s strengths, risks, and trade-offs?

Judgments

Making a judgment

Do partners reach similar judgments when they weigh the same information?

Interpretations

Interpreting an event

Do partners read the same event in similar ways when its meaning is uncertain?

A SMALL WINDOW INTO THE IDEA

Everyday moments.
Different perspectives.

Both partners would see the same scenario and answer independently. That lets us compare their decisions under shared conditions. Try a trip-planning scenario with a fixed budget and competing priorities.

The actual study questions will need expert review, participant testing, and statistical validation before their scores can be interpreted.

Browse all 84 draft questions
DRAFT SCENARIOThe same problem
A weekend with four possible routes

Two partners have 900 local currency units for a two-night break. They reserve 200 for food and local travel, leaving at most 700 for return transport for both people and two nights of lodging. All quoted prices include compulsory fees. Four packages are available: a train journey with a central guesthouse, an overnight bus with a quieter hotel, a flight with lodging farther from the centre, or a rental car with flexible departure times. Either partner can drive, and every option meets their access needs. They can manage each timetable and have not ranked comfort, time, location or flexibility. Unspent money can be kept.

Which package would you choose for this pair?

Both partners would see these same facts and choose independently. This illustration has no right answer and produces no score.

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A STUDY BUILT OVER TIME

A clearer picture takes
more than one moment.

The proposed design combines four sessions with follow-up over months and years. Timing and burden will be tested during the pilot.

01

Answer independently

Both partners receive the same form and answer independently, with separate consent and control over participation.

FOUR PLANNED SESSIONS
02

Understand variation

Each planned session includes 26 questions across the core module and broader comparison facets. Repeated anchors help examine consistency.

ABOUT TWO WEEKS
03

Follow real outcomes

Later check-ins assess satisfaction and relationship status as separate outcomes.

UP TO THREE YEARS, PROPOSED

EVIDENCE BEFORE PREDICTION

People deserve more
than a confident number.

A probability of a future outcome needs a defined time horizon, real follow-up data, and independent validation. DyadStudy has not reached that stage.

See the evidence and open questions

BEFORE YOU TAKE PART

A few clear answers.

Can we take the questionnaire now?

You can read all 84 original draft questions. This is a question library, not a response form: research participation is not open. The scenario above is an illustration, not an assessment. Recruitment will require a finalized protocol, ethics review, and appropriate permissions for any existing measures.

Will this tell us whether to get married?

No. There is no validated DyadStudy score or prediction model. The proposed research will examine specific patterns and outcomes; it will not decide what a couple should do.

Is problem-solving similarity the only thing that matters?

That is one hypothesis the project will test. We will compare models using the focused module, the broader questionnaire, and both together. We do not yet know whether similarity helps predict outcomes, whether other facets add information, or whether effects vary across couples.

Are different answers a bad sign?

A difference alone has no established meaning in this proposed instrument. The study must test which patterns, if any, relate to later outcomes, and under what conditions.

Is this couples therapy?

No. This is a research project in development. This website provides neither clinical assessment nor treatment.