Methodology & Framework
Why do relationships fail even when there's chemistry?
Because people with incompatible attachment styles, conflict resolution patterns, and intimacy needs enter the same room—and no one told them what they were signing up for.
Project Lagrange is an MRI of the psyche. A diagnostic tool grounded in attachment theory, personality research, and relationship psychology—designed to identify patterns under stress, not predict outcomes.
I. What We Measure
This isn't a quiz. It's an audit of your relational fingerprint.
Project Lagrange synthesizes data from 16+ relational dimensions, organized into three meta-categories for analysis:
| Meta-Category | Measured Dimensions | Research Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment Security | Anxious attachment, Avoidant attachment, Secure attachment | Bowlby (1969), Ainsworth et al. (1978) |
| Personality Architecture | Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability (Big Five) | McCrae & Costa (1987) |
| Relational Mechanics | Conflict engagement, Emotional expression, Intimacy comfort, Communication style, Love languages, Social energy, Life pace, Future planning, Financial values, Family orientation | Gottman (1999), Chapman (1992) |
Additionally, hard filters (children, religion, politics, substance use) are flagged separately as compatibility constraints rather than pattern mismatches.
Example: Archetype Pairing
The Systems Architect
High Conscientiousness + High Openness + Low Neuroticism. Plans everything, needs structure to feel safe, debugs emotions like code errors.
The Passionate Catalyst
High Openness + High Extraversion + High Neuroticism. Lives spontaneously, craves intensity, feels everything at 120%.
Compatibility insight: The Architect provides stability the Catalyst craves but doesn't know how to build. The Catalyst forces the Architect out of rigid systems into lived experience. High friction on spontaneity vs. planning, but complementary if both communicate protocols for emotional processing.
II. How the Assessment Works
We don't ask who you want to be. We ask who you are when no one's watching.
The 53-question diagnostic takes 10-15 minutes. Questions are designed to elicit behavioral patterns rather than ideal-state preferences.
Assessment
Analysis
Results
The Assessment
53 questions probe behavior under stress, conflict, and intimacy scenarios. Responses use a 1-10 scale (not binary), allowing for nuanced pattern detection.
Pattern Analysis
Responses are analyzed across 28 archetype profiles. Archetype assignment is based on dominant pattern clusters (Big Five + Attachment style combinations). Dimensional scores are calculated for each relationship factor.
Results Generation
Your "Fingerprint" includes your archetype and dimensional breakdown. When comparing with a partner, compatibility is calculated as weighted pattern alignment across dimensions, adjusted for attachment mismatch penalties.
Results show pattern interactions, not predictions. High friction ≠ incompatible; low friction ≠ guaranteed success.
Research Foundations
Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969; Ainsworth et al., 1978)
Core finding: Early relational patterns persist into adult relationships. Attachment style (anxious, avoidant, secure) predicts behavior under stress.
How we use it: Questions identify anxious, avoidant, or secure attachment responses under hypothetical stress scenarios.
Limitation: Self-reported attachment can differ from observed attachment in relationships.
Big Five Personality Model (McCrae & Costa, 1987)
Core finding: Five broad personality dimensions (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability) predict behavior across contexts.
How we use it: Personality traits correlate with conflict styles, intimacy comfort, and communication preferences in relationships.
Limitation: Personality is one factor; context, life stage, and circumstances matter.
Relationship Psychology (Gottman, 1999; Chapman, 1992)
Core finding: Specific interaction patterns (pursuit-withdrawal, stonewalling, love language mismatches) predict relationship satisfaction and stability.
How we use it: Questions identify these patterns before they manifest, allowing awareness and protocol development.
Limitation: Awareness of patterns doesn't automatically change them—behavioral change requires practice and often professional support.
How This Differs From Other Tools
Unlike Personality Tests (MBTI, Enneagram)
Personality typing systems categorize identity ("You are an INFJ"). Project Lagrange measures relational behavior under stress—how you actually respond when a partner criticizes you, withdraws, or needs reassurance.
Unlike Astrology or Compatibility Apps
Astrology attributes traits to birth timing. Dating app algorithms optimize for surface similarity (age, location, hobbies). Project Lagrange is grounded in peer-reviewed psychological research on attachment, personality, and relational patterns that predict long-term compatibility.
Unlike Therapy or Couples Counseling
This is a diagnostic tool, not a therapeutic intervention. We identify patterns—therapists help you change them. Think of this as the initial scan before treatment planning.
What You'll See in Your Results
Your Archetype
One of 28 archetype profiles based on your Big Five personality + attachment style combination (e.g., "The Systems Architect", "The Passionate Catalyst"). Includes your pattern, trap, and what you need.
Dimensional Breakdown
Scores across 6+ core dimensions: Attachment style, Conflict engagement, Emotional expression, Intimacy comfort, Life pace, Future planning. Visualized with explanations.
Attachment Pattern Analysis
Your anxious/avoidant/secure attachment breakdown, what triggers your patterns, and what stabilizes you.
Compatibility Analysis (When Comparing)
Pattern alignment across dimensions, friction zones (where you'll clash), strength zones (where you complement), and specific protocols for your pairing.
What This Is (And Isn't)
What Project Lagrange IS
- ✓A diagnostic assessment of relationship patterns
- ✓Based on validated psychological frameworks
- ✓A tool for self-awareness and partner comparison
- ✓Designed to identify friction zones and strength zones
What Project Lagrange is NOT
- ✗A therapeutic intervention (not a replacement for therapy)
- ✗A prediction engine (patterns ≠ destiny)
- ✗A personality test (we measure relational behavior, not identity)
- ✗A deterministic model (patterns can change with awareness)
IV. Limitations & Transparency
What We Can Measure
- • Your self-reported patterns in hypothetical scenarios
- • Dimensional compatibility based on pattern alignment
- • Likely friction zones based on attachment style mismatches
What We Cannot Measure
- • How you actually behave under real relationship stress (only what you report)
- • Life circumstances (timing, external stressors, readiness)
- • Chemistry, values shifts over time, personal growth trajectories
- • Whether a relationship will work (too many variables beyond patterns)
Why This Matters
No assessment is deterministic—patterns are probabilistic. Results are a starting point for conversation, not final judgment. High friction ≠ incompatible; low friction ≠ guaranteed success.
V. Privacy & Data Sovereignty
How Your Data Is Used
- Assessment responses stored with encrypted storage and row-level security
- Pattern analysis runs server-side (no client-side manipulation)
- Comparisons only visible when you initiate them via username exchange
- We don't sell data, train AI models on responses, or share with third parties
What You Control
- Who sees your results (comparison requires username input)
- When you retake the assessment (updates your profile)
Ready to Analyze Your Patterns?
The 53-question assessment takes 10-15 minutes. Results are immediate.
Start Assessment