<p>I spent a short period studying and developing conflict and cooperation models, the resulting research was proprietary so I was hesitant to actually respond to this question as there is nothing I can think of to reference directly except maybe some of the implications of the robbers cave experiment (the utility of this experiment is disputed). That being said, I don't believe I ever found a "test" that would predict the likelihood that any two participants would be friends. However, our previously mentioned research found that one of the most important <em>indicators</em>, not a test, but indicators, of potential friendship was not common interest, but common enemies or disagreements. though this answer may not be accepted as it does not meet standard requirements for acceptance, I felt that it was reasonable enough to mention if it helped point your search in the right direction. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-10T01:02:51.910Z
As this is more of a scientific stack, we expect answers that aren't based on common textbook-level knowledge to refer to references - even though you are referring to some original research, without any citations there is no way to evaluate your claims.
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-10T02:49:38.300Z
Thank you for the comment. In response: exactly why I state my hesitance friend. I hoped it might just help point future answers in a direction though I expect to be downvoted. I just want to help where I can, even if it hurts reputation. If you have suggestions for how I should have gone about doing so, please, by all means
ActionEconomy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-10T10:47:51.617Z
Once you gain enough reputation, you could comment instead. For now, no harm done. Thank you for your answer.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-09T23:35:59.410Z
2018-11-09T23:35:59.410Z
ActionEconomy
<p>There is no such thing as a test for compatibility in a friendship. There are measures for amity (that is, how much we feel someone <em>is</em> our friend), but no tests that predict whether two people would <em>become</em> good friends.</p>

<p>There are tests that aim to test for compatibility in romantic relationships. These are based on theories about what makes romantic relationships work, and some of them are employed on certain online dating platforms. Some of these platforms (e.g. <a href="https://www.parship.at/forschung_neu/index.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Parship.de</a> and <a href="https://www.edarling.de/forschung" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Edarling.de</a>), conduct studies to test their "scientific dating" principles and publish them. What is interesting in this context is that while there are clear indications for what makes a majority of romantic relationships work, but psychologists have as yet been unable to predict what makes people <em>fall in love</em>. So we know what would make them happy in the long term, but we don't know how to get them together. People fall in love for reasons that are very individual and cannot be systematized, yet.</p>

<p>In friendships, there are of course similar predictors as in romantic relationships, but since friendships are often much looser, friends spend very much less time with each other, and therefore don't need the same level of compatibility (because much incompatibility is compensated by less expectations and more time without each other), it is often enough for friends to share the same hobby, the same job, or live in the same neighborhood.</p>

<p>If you think of friendship as very intimate relationships with much sharing of emotions and thoughts, that is, of close "best" friends, then tests for romantic relationships would very likely cover aspects of these friendships as well.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-10T01:01:51.890Z
As this is more of a scientific stack, we expect answers that aren't based on common textbook-level knowledge to refer to references - so far this answer just seems to be your own opinions, maybe supported by some unreferenced sources of unknown provenance.
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-27T08:05:42.293Z
*"Some of these platforms (e.g. Parship.de and Edarling.de), conduct studies to test their "scientific dating" principles and publish them."* Could you please provide references for a couple of examples?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-09T16:02:36.060Z
2018-12-10T12:21:56.650Z
2018-12-10T12:21:56.650Z
user20779
<p>I'd like to have a test that would predict whether two people will get along (enjoy conversation and possibly become friends) if they try? The idea is simple: many people pass the test and then, by looking at results, we can find matches for potential friendship. However, I feel that it's not easy to implement if at all possible.</p>

<p>It's obvious how to find shared interests, but I doubt it would be enough to find a match. So, the test should explore some personality characteristics. <em>The question is what should we test for and how to find matches based on results?</em></p>

<p>I don't have education in psychology or something similar, and I couldn't find any relevant information. There are many articles regarding compatibility for romantic relationship, but that's not the same thing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-07T16:24:16.837Z
Welcome! Most likely there is, tons. This is what makes this question potentially **too broad**, which is a reason for placing a question on hold on this site, awaiting a more detailed question (this website is not well suited for receiving book-long answers). I therefore recommend you to do some initial search (even if it is just reading one post on this topic), which would allow you to better formulate what you are interested in knowing more about.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-08T18:19:31.847Z
@StevenJeuris thanks for your advice! Of course, I did some initial research before asking, but the question was indeed too broad. I just rewrote it, hope now it's OK.
flomaster
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-08T20:28:29.363Z
So, an underlying question you seem to be asking is whether people with the same personality characteristics are more likely to get along well. This already narrows down your question considerably! Any specific personality tests you are aware about or are interested in?
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-09T06:53:54.493Z
Yes, kind of. I wonder which characteristics should I be looking for. Maybe some characteristics should match and others should be opposite for people to be compatible. I'm not familiar with personality tests and I don't know which of them can be useful here.

I'm also interested what factors other than personality characteristics affect such compatibility, but that should probably be a separate question.
flomaster
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-06T13:23:07.033Z
Here are some (unsourced) thoughts to prompt your research/reading. Personality researchers have a thousand and one theories on this, some centering around major personality tests and others being more general. Shared religious/political/ideological views help. People like people who like them. Repeated contact, proximity, likeness in age & appearance, and equal levels of competence are all helpful. People tend to like people with whom they expect to continue interacting with in the future.
Zenon
<social-psychology><personality>
How to test people's compatibility for friendship
flomaster
# How to test people's compatibility for friendship

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-07)

I'd like to have a test that would predict whether two people will get along (enjoy conversation and possibly become friends) if they try? The idea is simple: many people pass the test and then, by looking at results, we can find matches for potential friendship. However, I feel that it's not easy to implement if at all possible.

It's obvious how to find shared interests, but I doubt it would be enough to find a match. So, the test should explore some personality characteristics. *The question is what should we test for and how to find matches based on results?*

I don't have education in psychology or something similar, and I couldn't find any relevant information. There are many articles regarding compatibility for romantic relationship, but that's not the same thing.

**Tags:** social-psychology, personality

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome! Most likely there is, tons. This is what makes this question potentially **too broad**, which is a reason for placing a question on hold on this site, awaiting a more detailed question (this website is not well suited for receiving book-long answers). I therefore recommend you to do some initial search (even if it is just reading one post on this topic), which would allow you to better formulate what you are interested in knowing more about.  
> **username_0**: @StevenJeuris thanks for your advice! Of course, I did some initial research before asking, but the question was indeed too broad. I just rewrote it, hope now it's OK.  
> **username_1**: So, an underlying question you seem to be asking is whether people with the same personality characteristics are more likely to get along well. This already narrows down your question considerably! Any specific personality tests you are aware about or are interested in?  
> **username_0**: Yes, kind of. I wonder which characteristics should I be looking for. Maybe some characteristics should match and others should be opposite for people to be compatible. I'm not familiar with personality tests and I don't know which of them can be useful here.  I'm also interested what factors other than personality characteristics affect such compatibility, but that should probably be a separate question.  
> **username_2**: Here are some (unsourced) thoughts to prompt your research/reading. Personality researchers have a thousand and one theories on this, some centering around major personality tests and others being more general. Shared religious/political/ideological views help. People like people who like them. Repeated contact, proximity, likeness in age & appearance, and equal levels of competence are all helpful. People tend to like people with whom they expect to continue interacting with in the future.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-09. Score: 1

I spent a short period studying and developing conflict and cooperation models, the resulting research was proprietary so I was hesitant to actually respond to this question as there is nothing I can think of to reference directly except maybe some of the implications of the robbers cave experiment (the utility of this experiment is disputed). That being said, I don't believe I ever found a "test" that would predict the likelihood that any two participants would be friends. However, our previously mentioned research found that one of the most important *indicators*, not a test, but indicators, of potential friendship was not common interest, but common enemies or disagreements. though this answer may not be accepted as it does not meet standard requirements for acceptance, I felt that it was reasonable enough to mention if it helped point your search in the right direction.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: As this is more of a scientific stack, we expect answers that aren't based on common textbook-level knowledge to refer to references - even though you are referring to some original research, without any citations there is no way to evaluate your claims.  
> **username_3**: Thank you for the comment. In response: exactly why I state my hesitance friend. I hoped it might just help point future answers in a direction though I expect to be downvoted. I just want to help where I can, even if it hurts reputation. If you have suggestions for how I should have gone about doing so, please, by all means  
> **username_1**: Once you gain enough reputation, you could comment instead. For now, no harm done. Thank you for your answer.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-11-09. Score: -1

There is no such thing as a test for compatibility in a friendship. There are measures for amity (that is, how much we feel someone *is* our friend), but no tests that predict whether two people would *become* good friends.

There are tests that aim to test for compatibility in romantic relationships. These are based on theories about what makes romantic relationships work, and some of them are employed on certain online dating platforms. Some of these platforms (e.g. [Parship.de](https://www.parship.at/forschung_neu/index.htm) and [Edarling.de](https://www.edarling.de/forschung)), conduct studies to test their "scientific dating" principles and publish them. What is interesting in this context is that while there are clear indications for what makes a majority of romantic relationships work, but psychologists have as yet been unable to predict what makes people *fall in love*. So we know what would make them happy in the long term, but we don't know how to get them together. People fall in love for reasons that are very individual and cannot be systematized, yet.

In friendships, there are of course similar predictors as in romantic relationships, but since friendships are often much looser, friends spend very much less time with each other, and therefore don't need the same level of compatibility (because much incompatibility is compensated by less expectations and more time without each other), it is often enough for friends to share the same hobby, the same job, or live in the same neighborhood.

If you think of friendship as very intimate relationships with much sharing of emotions and thoughts, that is, of close "best" friends, then tests for romantic relationships would very likely cover aspects of these friendships as well.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: As this is more of a scientific stack, we expect answers that aren't based on common textbook-level knowledge to refer to references - so far this answer just seems to be your own opinions, maybe supported by some unreferenced sources of unknown provenance.  
> **username_6**: *"Some of these platforms (e.g. Parship.de and Edarling.de), conduct studies to test their "scientific dating" principles and publish them."* Could you please provide references for a couple of examples?  

---

