Get ready for Valentine's Day: a science-based 7-question relationship test

Do you want a quick and reliable check on your relationship? The research-based Valentine Scale helps couples assess trust, emotional closeness and communication in just seven questions. And it's free to take online.

How does the Valentine Scale work?

Romantic relationships play an important role in psychological well-being, improving quality of life and helping to prevent mental health problems. However, there are very few reliable and readily available tools to assess relationship health.

Psychologist Per Carlbring, professor of psychology at Stockholm University and one of the test's developers, says that the Valentine Scale provides a quick and efficient way to get a picture of the health of a relationship without the need for lengthy and complicated interviews or questionnaires. It can even be used in couples counselling to monitor progress over time.

"The Valentine Scale consists of seven questions that assess key aspects of the relationship, including emotional closeness, trust and conflict resolution. 

Based on the results, couples receive practical suggestions on how to strengthen their relationship through daily exercises.

Two comprehensive studies with more than 1300 participants show that the Valentine Scale has high reliability. 

It has also been found to correlate strongly with other proven measures of relationship satisfaction such as the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Quality of Dyadic Relationships.

 In addition, the Valentine Scale can predict improvements in quality of life and contribute to the reduction of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression by quickly providing a clear picture of the state of the relationship.

Strengthening relationships through reflection

"The Valentine Scale should be seen as a tool for reflection and dialogue, not as a definitive assessment of the future of a relationship, emphasises Per Carlbring. The aim of the tool is to promote open communication and better understanding, not to cause unnecessary stress.

At the same time, he stresses the importance of not over-emphasising the meaning of the results and not focusing only on the good outcome.

"If the test results are worrying, it's worth talking about what's behind the answers. Relationships are dynamic and depend on many factors: stress, communication difficulties or other life circumstances. By reflecting together, you can find ways to move forward - either to strengthen the relationship or to make other choices," adds Per Carlbring.

"The Valentine Scale is available free of charge and can be tested online with automatic assessments via this link. By answering seven questions, you can find out how you currently feel about your relationship.