New MyIQ data reveals how cognitive testing is entering personal dynamics, as couples increasingly turn to IQ results to clarify perceived intelligence gaps.
A nationally weighted survey of 3,206 partnered adults in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, conducted by MyIQ, suggests that standardized testing is making its way into private life. Among respondents, 41% reported taking an IQ test specifically to resolve a disagreement about which partner was smarter, while 52% said they completed the test together within two weeks of such a dispute.
The trend appears to reflect a broader shift in how couples approach recurring conflicts around competence and decision-making. When asked to choose between structured frameworks for understanding compatibility, 67% of participants preferred objective tools like IQ tests over interpretive systems such as love languages, citing consistency and perceived neutrality.
While the impulse may be competitive, the effects are often collaborative. Among couples who took the test, 68% said arguments about cognitive ability decreased in the following month. 24% reported a clearer division of household responsibilities, informed by the individual strengths surfaced in testing. These outcomes were most pronounced among participants aged 25-39.
Still, not all impacts were positive. 17% of couples experienced short-term tension after viewing scores, especially in relationships where competitiveness was already present. Yet in this subgroup, 61% said the tension diminished after both partners agreed on how, or whether, to factor test results into daily interactions.
Survey responses also show that testing tends to reframe, rather than eliminate, conflict. 39% said that post-test disagreements became more specific and task-focused, shifting from broad judgments about intelligence to concrete comparisons in reasoning, planning, or memory. 54% of couples reported setting task-based leadership thresholds, allowing one partner to take the lead in certain areas based on test profiles.
In some cases, IQ testing was paired with MyIQ’s 120-question relationship assessment. Among those couples, 72% reported improved communication norms within a month, suggesting that structured reflection may support not only understanding but interpersonal recalibration.
While these findings do not suggest that cognitive scores are a universal solution, they reflect a growing interest in using quantified self-insight to support relational clarity. As IQ testing moves beyond academic and professional settings, MyIQ’s data reveals that couples are exploring new ways to make disagreement measurable, and, in some cases, resolvable.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.