Relationships and Social Life tests

Personality doesn't only show up in romantic relationships: it also shapes what kind of friend you are, how you speak up when something bothers you, and what you do when a disagreement comes up. This category focuses precisely on that social, everyday territory, distinct from the romantic bond or the intimate closeness already covered by our Attachment Style category: here the focus is on friendship, communication, and interpersonal conflict in general.

Three angles on the same terrain

• What kind of friend you are: the role you tend to play in your friendships.
• Your communication style: how you express what you think and feel.
• How you handle conflict: what you do when your interests clash with someone else's.

All three are backed by decades-old lines of research in social psychology, not throwaway magazine quizzes.

No result outranks another

As with the rest of this site, no result is a closed label or better than another: each style has its own function and its own cost, and most people combine several depending on context. Our tests are a popular-science, informational take: they don't replace guidance from a psychology professional.

Sources

• Hays, R. B. (1988). Friendship. In S. Duck (ed.), Handbook of Personal Relationships.
• Alberti, R. E., & Emmons, M. L. (1970/2008). Your Perfect Right: Assertiveness and Equality in Your Life and Relationships.
• Thomas, K. W., & Kilmann, R. H. (1974). Conflict-handling modes.
• Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.
• Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (1981). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.