Compatibility of Partners in a Relationship
When it comes to finding a long-term romantic partner, choosing the right person is very important. Although some people fall in love at first sight, many others need to go through a lengthy dating process before they find “The One.” The natural dynamics of family life can cause change in marital relationships – life events like the birth of children, children leaving the home, a couple aging, changes in well-being, and changes in educational status can all bring about differences. In time, these relationships may devolve into distance and conflict between partners. The quality of any given relationship is predetermined by each partner's personal characteristics and ability to develop optimal behavior within his or her relationship.
The assessment framework used by the Jung Marriage Test is drawn from Carl Jung’s and Isabel Briggs Myers’ personality type theories. This framework regards personality as an information system with the following four components:
- The source and direction of information and energy expression.
- The method of information perception.
- The method of processing information.
- The form of information implementation.
The Jung Marriage Test assesses partners’ compatibility based on the match or harmony of their information systems, as expressed over multiple components:
- Sourcing reflects partners’ compatibility in terms of their source and direction of information and energy expression (extraversion or introversion).
- Perceiving reflects partners’ compatibility in terms of their method of information perceiving (sensing or intuition).
- Processing reflects partners’ compatibility in terms of their method of information processing (thinking or feeling).
- Implementing reflects partners’ compatibility in terms of their method of implementing information (judging or perceiving).
The overall informational compatibility score generated by this test is called MatchIndex. it indicates the degree of informational compatibility between romantic partners. MatchIndex scores range from 0% (poor match) to 100% (good match). The MatchIndex score is calculated as the average of four components: sourcing, perceiving, processing, and implementing. These four components indicate two individuals’ compatibility along the dimensions of personality type.
Our experience with the Jung Marriage Test has shown that information compatibility can help determine a couple’s likely behavior. In fact, we compared results obtained from the Jung Marriage Test with real-life appraisals of relationships, confirming that the test is a valid determinant of a couple’s likely long-term behavior. It was revealed that a MatchIndex score lower than 62% predicts the likelihood of an unstable long-term relationship.
To obtain a Jung Marriage Test result, you and your partner must know your personality type and strength of preferences in four of Jung’s and Briggs Myers’ criteria. To get that information, use Humanmetrics free Jung Typology Test. Once you have your type and strength of preferences, you can input them into the Jung Marriage Test repeatedly to discover your compatibility with different partners.
The marriage test results are grouped in three blocks.
The first block shows each partner’s type formula and preference strength:
Partner A
Partner B
The second block contains the MatchIndex value and a concise description of the partners' relationship. The short explanation specifies points of tension in the couple’s behaviour.
Informational compatibility is an important factor establishing a mutually satisfying and long-lasting relationship. MatchIndex™ represents the extent of informational compatibility between two partners. Higher MatchIndex™ indicates greater likelihood of a stable and satisfying long-term relationship.
The following diagram shows grades for all four components of informational compatibility. The four constituents of the MatchIndex may have satisfactory or good grades, thus making the MatchIndex higher or vice versa, the four components may have poor or unsatisfactory grades, thus making the MatchIndex low. Low grades for one or more components supposes the compatibility against these component to be a tension point in the relationship of a given couple.
For example: If the processing component is estimated as "poor" and the remaining components obtain "satisfactory" or "good" grades, then the MatchIndex may have a "satisfactory" grade, however, the relationship will be tense between partners in the processing component.
Here is the diagram of the four components of the couple’s informational compatibility and their grades:
Below is the analysis of your relationship and suggestions for optimal behavior of the partners.
The main tension between partners is related to their methods of processing information.
How does this tension affect the relationship and what type of behavior is best suited to the situation? Processing reflects a couple’s compatibility in terms of thinking-feeling preferences. Processing compatibility has a result of "poor" in the given example. The reason is that the partners' preferences in the "Processing" component are opposite, and the preferences are distinctly expressed. One of the partners is a rational person, while the other is a distinctly emotional person. This type of result essentially narrows the range of life events in which the partners could easily cooperate. It would be better for one partner to rely on the other to solve problems where the other’s personal traits are more advantageous. The description of the couple's relationship as regards the information processing component reflects this concept.
The third block of test results gives descriptions of the couple's relationship in all four components. These descriptions show which types of problems can be easily discussed and resolved by both partners. As well, it details the range of situations that are reasonably comfortable for both partners. The descriptions also explain what kinds of situations cause discomfort and tension in a given couple’s relationship and why.
Information Source Compatibility
GOODWhence a person receives information and energy and where he or she directs it. This is represented by the extraversion-introversion preferences. An extravert’s source and direction of information and energy expression is mainly in the external world, while an introvert’s source of information and energy mainly lies internally.
The hearts below show your position and that of your partner, as well as the distance between the partners on the extraversion-introversion scale. This is how you compare in terms of extraversion-introversion trait:
- Partner A is distinctly expressed extravert.
- Partner B is slightly expressed extravert.
- Partner A and Partner B, you have the same preferences and those preferences are expressed either slightly or moderately.
Advantages of Your Combination of Preferences
This combination of preferences is favorable for your relationship because similarly directed preferences will lead to mutual understanding and consent in your relationship.
The close strength of expression and similarly directed preferences allow each of you to easily adjust your behavior to your partner’s typical conduct while still feeling sufficiently comfortable yourself.
This combination of partner preferences is also favorable for your relationship because it significantly expands the set of situations with which you, as a couple, are able to cope. It means that each of you may supplement your partner in situations where your personal traits give you advantage.
So, Partner A could lead in situations where expressed extraverted behavior gives the advantage whereas Partner B will lead the couple where some introverted qualities are preferable.
Activities Comfortably Done Together
There is a wide range of situations in which both partners can feel comfortable together. Activities to undertake together may include active socializing with groups of people, attending parties, visiting museums, going to the movies, sports, dining out, shopping, and casual outings.
Caveats
It is most probably that you will not face problems stemming from both of you being extraverts. Nevertheless, it makes sense to avoid situations, which could cause tension in your relationship because of both of your extraverted preferences. One example of this would be to limit live communication with others over a long period of time.
Information Perception Compatibility
GOODThe method of perception of information is represented by the sensing-intuition preferences. Sensing means that a person mainly believes information he or she receives directly from his or her senses. Intuition means that a person believes mainly information he or she receives from his or her imagination and ideas.
The hearts below show your position and that of your partner, as well as the distance between the partners on the sensing-intuition scale. This is how you compare on trait sensing-intuition:
- Partner A is a slightly expressed sensing person.
- Partner B is a moderately expressed sensing person.
- Partner A and Partner B, you have the same preferences and those preferences are expressed either slightly or moderately.
Advantages of Your Combination of Preferences
This combination of preferences is favorable for your relationship because similarly directed preferences will lead to mutual understanding and consent in your relationship.
The close strength of expression and similarly directed preferences allow each of you to easily adjust your behavior to your partner’s typical conduct while still feeling sufficiently comfortable.
Activities Comfortably Done Together
It follows that there is a relatively wide range of situations that can be understood by both partners and with which they can effectively cope.
Common ground may include everyday situations that require quick, practical solutions and considering their immediate impact.
Caveats
It is most probably that your relationship does not face problems stemming from how you perceive the world.
Nevertheless, situations should be avoided that might cause tension in your relationship, in light of both partners’ primarily sensory perception of the world. Preference for the concrete, practical perception of reality might cause discomfort if both of you need to make decisions on questions requiring foresight and seeing the “big picture.”
Information Processing Compatibility
POORHow a person processes information is represented by the thinking-feeling preferences. Thinking means that a person makes a decision mainly through logic. Feeling means that, as a rule, he or she makes a decision based on emotion, i.e. based on what they feel they should do.
The hearts below show your position and that of your partner, as well as the distance between the partners on the thinking-feeling scale. This is how you compare on trait thinking-feeling:
- Partner A is a moderately expressed thinking person.
- Partner B is a moderately expressed feeling person.
- Partner A and Partner B have opposite preferences when it comes to processing information.
Adapting to Your Partner’s Behavior
There will most probably be tension in your relationship, because the partners’ preferences are opposite each other and the strength of those preferences is substantial.
Partner B, be aware that the excessive compassion can sometimes be burdensome. If that is the case, your partner may begin to distance himself from you.
Caveats
Partner A, it would be better for you to rely on your partner for those problems that call for sympathy, a personal approach, or a consensus among all concerned.
Partner B, it would be better for you to count on your partner for problems that require a strictly logical, objective approach and firmness in execution.
Information Implementation Compatibility
SATISFACTORYHow a person implements information is represented by the judging-perceiving preferences. Judging means that a person organizes all of his or her life events and, as a rule, sticks to their plans. Perceiving means that he or she is inclined to improvise and explore alternative options.
The hearts below show your position and that of your partner, as well as the distance between the partners on the judging-perceiving scale. This is how you compare on trait judging-perceiving:
- Partner A is a slightly expressed perceiving person.
- Partner B is a distinctly expressed perceiving person.
- Partner A and Partner B, you have the same preferences when it comes to implementation of information.
Advantages of Your Combination of Preferences
This combination of preferences is favorable for your relationship because similarly directed preferences will lead to mutual understanding and consent in your relationship.
The close strength of expression and similarly directed preferences allow each of you to easily adjust your behavior to your partner’s typical conduct while still feeling sufficiently comfortable.
Activities Comfortably Done Together
There is a relatively wide range of situations in which the partners easily interact.
These may include those that require improvisation, flexibility and variety in approaches.
Caveats
There are most probably no contradictions between partners stemming from their same perceiving preferences. However, situations should be avoid that might cause tension in your relationship because of both partners’ preference for improvisation and flexibility in their approaches. This approach might lead to tension, if both of you have to manage situations that primarily require planning and meeting deadlines.