Do opposites attract? The old cliché says they do. But is it true, or do we prefer partners who are similar to ourselves? And if so, similar in what way? To find out, take the quiz below and if possible ask your partner to as well.
On a scale of 1 to 7, to what extent are you:
a extremely left wing (1) to extremely right wing (7)?
b extremely liberal (1) to extremely conservative (7)?
c a worrier (1) to happy go lucky (7)?
d conscientious (1) to slapdash (7)?
e introverted (1) to extroverted (7)?
If you and your partner were within a point or two of one another on questions (a) and (b) then congratulations. A recent Finnish study found that couples with similar political views reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction (though, of course, there are always exceptions). But what if you’re very different on personality traits such as (c) neuroticism, (d) conscientiousness and (e) extroversion? Don’t worry – it doesn’t seem to matter. This study found little to no association between shared personality traits and relationship satisfaction. So, when it comes to personality, there’s no evidence that opposites attract (or, for that matter, repel). But if one of you is a Corbynite, while the other prefers May, watch out.
Order Are You Smarter Than a Chimpanzee? by Ben Ambridge (Profile Books, £12.99) for £11.04 at bookshop.theguardian.com
