Psychologists Gary Pfeiffer and Paul Wong described jealousy in 1989 as a phenomenon with three components: a cognitive one (thoughts and interpretations about a possible threat), an emotional one (the unease or distress it brings up), and a behavioral one (checking, asking, monitoring). This test measures all three together.
- Low: you trust the relationship without needing to check on it constantly.
- Moderate: specific situations trigger doubt now and then, without being a dominant pattern.
- High: doubt, checking, or unease shape a good part of the relationship.
15 statements, about 3-4 minutes. Think about your usual pattern in the relationship, not one recent, isolated episode.
All possible results
Low Jealousy
You trust the relationship without needing to check on it constantly. Doubt doesn't seem to shape your day-to-day as a couple.
See the detail
"Pfeiffer and Wong describe jealousy as a combination of thought, emotion, and behavior: suspecting, feeling uneasy, and checking. When all three components are low, trust holds up the relationship without any need for monitoring."
What this score means
Your answers don't show a pattern of suspicion, unease, or ongoing checking in the relationship. You might feel an occasional pang of insecurity, as is only human, but it doesn't seem to shape how you show up as a couple.
How it shows up day to day
- You don't feel the need to check your partner's phone or social media.
- An ambiguous comment doesn't stay on your mind for hours.
- You feel fully happy when your partner makes plans that don't include you.
An important clarification
This result is orientation-only and informational, inspired by Gary Pfeiffer and Paul Wong's (1989) model of jealousy: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace guidance from a qualified professional.
Moderate Jealousy
Specific situations (an ex, an ambiguous comment) trigger doubt now and then, without it being a dominant pattern in the relationship.
See the detail
"A certain degree of jealousy is practically universal in romantic relationships: what matters isn't feeling it occasionally, it's how often and how intensely it takes hold."
What this score means
Your answers show some activation of doubt or unease in specific situations (an ex, a comparison, an ambiguous comment), without reaching a sustained pattern of monitoring or constant checking.
How it shows up day to day
- You feel some tension in specific situations, rather than across the board.
- You sometimes find it hard not to dwell on a plan your partner made without you, even if that's not the norm.
- You notice the doubt when it shows up, without it dominating the relationship as a whole.
An important clarification
This result is orientation-only and informational, inspired by Gary Pfeiffer and Paul Wong's (1989) model of jealousy: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace guidance from a qualified professional.
High Jealousy
Doubt, checking, or unease seem to shape a good part of how you experience the relationship.
See the detail
"When the behavioral component of jealousy (checking, asking, monitoring) becomes constant, it tends to produce the opposite of the intended effect: instead of reassuring, it erodes the very trust it's trying to protect."
What this score means
Your answers show a sustained pattern across the three components Pfeiffer and Wong describe: you read ambiguous signals as a threat (cognitive), you feel uneasy often (emotional), and you feel the need to check or ask (behavioral).
How it shows up day to day
- You find it hard to fully trust your partner when they're not with you.
- You check, or feel tempted to check, your partner's phone or social media.
- An ambiguous comment can stay on your mind for hours.
An important clarification
This result is orientation-only and informational, inspired by Gary Pfeiffer and Paul Wong's (1989) model of jealousy: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace guidance from a qualified professional. If this pattern is causing significant distress or affecting the relationship, couples or individual therapy can help work through it in depth.
Indicative result, not a diagnosis. It describes how you described yourself today, not a disorder or a clinical condition, and it does not replace assessment by a mental health professional. If what you are feeling overwhelms you or persists over time, consider talking it through with a professional.
How this test was built
This test measures your habitual level of jealousy in a romantic relationship, understood as a phenomenon with three components: thoughts in response to a possible threat, the emotion it generates, and the checking behavior it triggers.
This result is not a clinical diagnosis and does not replace a professional's evaluation.
This is a self-administered, informational version, inspired by Pfeiffer and Wong's model, not a validated clinical instrument.
See the full methodology
What it measures
This test measures your habitual level of jealousy in a romantic relationship, understood as a phenomenon with three components: thoughts in response to a possible threat, the emotion it generates, and the checking behavior it triggers.
What model it uses
It's based on the multidimensional model of jealousy, which distinguishes three components:
- Cognitive: thoughts and interpretations about a possible threat to the relationship.
- Emotional: the unease or distress that interpretation generates.
- Behavioral: checking, asking, or monitoring in response.
Where that model comes from
The model was formulated by psychologists Gary Pfeiffer and Paul Wong in 1989, in an article published in the journal Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
How the result is calculated
Each of the 15 statements distributes points (from 0 to 3) across the three result categories (low, moderate, high) based on the level of agreement you mark. Points for each category are added up across the 15 statements, and the category with the highest total score is your result.
What your result means
The result describes how often and how intensely the three components of jealousy show up in your current relationship, not whether there's a real reason to feel them. A low, occasional degree of jealousy is practically universal.
What it does NOT mean
This result is not a clinical diagnosis and does not replace a professional's evaluation. Nor does it indicate whether your partner is unfaithful: it measures your pattern of jealousy, not their actual behavior. A high result doesn't define you as a “bad” or “toxic” person; it describes a pattern that can be worked on, especially if it causes significant distress in the relationship.
Limitations
This is a self-administered, informational version, inspired by Pfeiffer and Wong's model, not a validated clinical instrument. Like any self-report, it's subject to the subjective perception of the moment and can vary depending on the stage of the relationship.
Academic references
- Pfeiffer, S. M., & Wong, P. T. P. (1989). Multidimensional jealousy. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6(2), 181-196.
Frequently asked questions
Is feeling jealous every once in a while always a problem?
No. A low degree of occasional jealousy is practically universal in romantic relationships. What matters is the frequency, the intensity, and whether it shapes your day-to-day, not the total absence of the feeling.
What's the difference between jealousy and distrust?
They're related, but not the same: jealousy is the response (thought, emotion, behavior) to a perceived threat to the relationship, while distrust is an underlying belief about whether the other person can be trusted at all.
Does a high score mean my partner is cheating on me?
No. This test measures your jealousy pattern, not your partner's actual behavior. Jealousy can run high with no real cause at all, and low even when a real one exists.
Is this test reliable?
It's an orientation-only, informational approximation inspired by the Pfeiffer and Wong (1989) model, not a validated clinical instrument. To work through this pattern in depth, the recommended step is guidance from a professional.
How long does the test take?
Between 3 and 4 minutes: 15 statements with five answer options each.
See all 6 questions
Is it free?
Yes, it's completely free: no sign-up or payment needed to take the test and see your result.
