What does research mean by compatibility in marriage?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
Compatibility is not a single score or a requirement that two people be alike. Relationship research usually treats it as the fit between partners’ values, expectations, habits, goals and ways of handling differences. Some areas—such as whether to have children, where to live or how religion shapes daily life—can create repeated decisions, while different hobbies may matter very little. Compatibility also develops through behavior: honesty, reliability, repair after conflict and willingness to renegotiate can be more important than matching profile fields at the start.
Sources used
Trait and facet personality similarity and relationship satisfaction in romantic couples
Journal of Research in Personality, PubMed Central
Dyadic research finding little evidence that personality similarity itself explains relationship satisfaction.View sourceDoes Couples’ Communication Predict Marital Satisfaction, or Does Marital Satisfaction Predict Communication?
Journal of Marriage and Family, indexed by PubMed
Longitudinal newlywed study showing that communication and satisfaction are related, but neither direction is a simple or dominant cause.View sourceEducation and mate-selection agency among educated women in Malakand Division
PubMed-indexed research
Mixed-method regional study using 30 interviews and a questionnaire completed by 500 educated women.View source