Relationship Panoramic Inventory (RPI)
The Relationship Panoramic Inventory is designed for couples aged 21 and older who have been in a committed, long-term relationship for at least 12 months. Whether you’ve been together for a year or several decades, this test is here to help you understand your relationship’s strengths and areas that may need extra care.
Our research includes couples with an average relationship length of 10 years, and some partnerships lasting as long as 42 years, demonstrating that it’s never too early—or too late—to explore ways to deepen your connection.
The test is inclusive of all genders, sexual orientations, and relationship types. To get the most value, we recommend focusing on one primary relationship while completing the assessment.
The language of the inventory is designed to be clear and accessible to anyone with a high school diploma or higher. While the test currently reflects U.S. demographics, we are actively working on validating it for other languages and cultures, ensuring its usefulness across the globe.
Basic Characteristics of Individuals and Couples that We Studied (representative of the US norm)
Validation Study Sample Size
Age Range and Average
Relationship Length Range and Average
Gender Mix
Racial Mix
Educational Backgrounds
Relationship Status
Sexual Orientations
Relationship Orientations
Relationship Panoramic Inventory is a self-administered online assessment with the following scales and measures that can be completed within 20-30 minutes.

Relationship Vision and Metaphors
10 items to determine one’s vision for a relationship, plus 10 relationship metaphors that summarizes the roles that couples in relationships adopt (e.g. best friends, sex partners, lovers, etc.).

Emergent Love Scale
17 item scale to assess core outcomes (fit, thriving, satisfaction), interpersonal dynamics (respect, compassion, love, commitment and trust) as well as mutual physical attraction.

Sexual Health and Satisfaction Scale
18 item scale to assess satisfaction with frequency and quality of sex, consensual sex, as well as the indications for most common sexual dysfunctions.

Healthy Living and Lifestyle Scale
11 item scale to assess one’s sense of mental, emotional and physical health, healthy lifestyle choices as well as indications for alcohol, smoking and other substance use.

Positive and Negative Emotions Scale
20 item scale to assess one’s tendency toward most common positive and negative emotions.

Positive and Negative Thoughts Scale
10 item scale to assess one’s tendency toward most positive vs. negative thoughts.

Ability to Connect Scale
14 item scale to assess 4 aspects of one’s ability to connect: respect & manners, dress & looks, touch & affection, mood & tone.

Personal Values Scale
32 item scale to assess one’s core personal values, with a focus on moral values as a predictor for better relationship outcomes.

Thinking Styles Scale
12 item scale to assess behaviors associated with more streamlined thinking: abstraction, facilitation, information and organization.

Healthy Financial Attitude Scale
7 item scale to assess one’s attitude toward managing personal finances, spending and saving.

Identity, Interests, Temperaments
7 measures to assess adverse childhood events, personal identity, interests (general, political and religious), and temperaments.

Handling Conflict, Stressors, Outlook
7 more measures to assess relationship stressors, conflict management, level of resentment and relationship mental models.
What is in the report and model?
Understanding the following two concepts are core to understanding the report and the model depicted on the right:
- A panoramic assessment of a dyadic relationship inherently requires an assessment of the following 4 buckets or domains:
- how a couple subjectively view and perceive the outcome of their relationship,
- how they interact on a daily basis (their interpersonal dynamics or the 6 ingredients of emergent love),
- their compatibility as a dyad (e.g. having a shared vision), and
- certain individual characteristics (e.g. moral values). This is the essence of the model, which is informed by our research and depicted in the schematic below.
- Relationship Panoramic is primarily a strength-based model. It means that although you would see in the report where the cracks and fault-lines of a relationship might be, but the main focus is going to be the understanding of the relationship’s strengths and how to leverage them to sustain and promote a healthy and thriving partnership.
What areas are measured in each domain?
The diagram above shows how systematically the report starts from the outcome of the relationship (how the individual or couple perceives how they are doing), followed by the six ingredients of the emergent love covering important dynamics such as respect, loving behaviors, compassion, commitment, trust and attraction.
The report continues with the individual fundamentals that are considered the foundations of any healthy relationship and explores key areas that the couple are compatible with, most notably their shared vision for the future of their relationship.
If the test is taken as a couple, scores of the two individuals are compared side by side in figures and tables against a population norm derived from our US validation study. This will make the report a lot easier to digest.
The degree of commonness and difference for the reported measures will also be analyzed and presented.
How does it work?
There are three ways to order the test:
- A mental health provider or certified professional recommends the test to a couple or individual client in a long term relationship.
- A couple directly orders the test.
- An individual in a close relationship orders the test.
In the first case, the therapist, counselor, or certified coach recommends the test to a couple client using this Instant Referral Form. After the clients order and take the test, the provider will receive the interpretive report from Relationship Panoramic’s analytics team and goes over the results in their next session with the couple. In our experience, some providers use the report to inform their ongoing treatment plan and clarify milestones for counseling the couple. It takes at least 2 hours to fully explain the 4 domains of the report. You might need extra time to address any questions that may arise based on this conversation.
In the second case, a couple decide to order the test, take it on their own, and receive their report to explore areas for growth and development in their relationship.
They are offered some resources to better understand the domains included in the report and have a better understanding of what they entail. If interested, they can start working with a therapist, counselor or certified coach to address any areas that might require professional help.
If you took the test but don’t know a mental health professional to work with, please contact us to receive a list of approved professionals who might be able to help you and your partner.
The third scenario is when an individual in a committed relationship takes the test individually to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of his/her relationship. The advantage of the individual test compared to the couple test is that you have full control of taking the test (whether or not your partner is onboard to take the test). However, the caveat is that you only see into your relationship from your own perspective and the viewpoint of your partner is not captured in the report, which could be quite insightful.
Why does it matter?

For Clinicians and Professionals
- Affordable and Validated: Relationship Panoramic is an affordable, scientifically validated tool to holistically assess modern-day relationships.
- Streamline Your Work: With 558 items completed in just 30 minutes, it simplifies and informs your intake and assessment process.
- Insightful Reports: The detailed yet easy-to-follow interpretive report helps you create effective therapeutic plans for couples counseling or psychosexual therapy.
- Inclusive and Versatile: Suitable for the queer community and couples in open or polyamorous relationships. It’s also effective for premarital counseling when couples have been together for at least a year.
- Non-Diagnostic: This tool is not meant to diagnose, screen, or predict mental disorders but to enhance relational awareness and therapeutic planning.

For Couples
- Identify and Strengthen: In every relationship, small cracks can grow into chasms if left unaddressed. Relationship Panoramic is designed to uncover those cracks and highlight your strengths.
- Prevent Drifting Apart: Many couples only seek help when they’re already worlds apart. This tool offers insights to address challenges early, helping you stay connected.
- Self-Awareness: The process starts the moment you take the test and deepens when you receive your report, offering greater understanding of yourself and your partnership.
- Visual Insights: Your report visually represents your and your partner’s scores compared to the normative sample, giving clarity on where you stand.
- For All Stages: About 1/3 of couples take the test before marriage, and 2/3 after marriage. Many take it every 6–12 months to reassess their relationship and track progress.
For Individuals in Relationships
- Take It Solo: You don’t need your partner to take the test alongside you. Individual insights can help you reflect on your contributions to the relationship.
- Empower Yourself: Learn how to identify cracks and strengthen your role in creating a thriving relationship, whether for your current or future partnership.
- Start with You: The test encourages personal growth and self-awareness, providing tools to enhance your relational skills and connection.
The Science of Relationship Panoramic
In the charts below, red represents 25th percentile, yellow somewhere between 25th and 75th percentiles and green is above 75th percentile. The gauge shows the median value in our sample.
Methodology
The results of a retrospective qualitative study with 312 couples was the basis for item generation of Emergent Love Scale, which is discussed elsewhere.
In the validation study, 345 US individuals (representing 159 couples) in long-term intimate relationships were recruited through Amazon’s Turk Prime service in August 2019. They completed the original Relationship Panoramic Inventory with 200+ items in addition to 4 other scales for criterion validation, namely Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI), Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), Love Attitude Scale and Experiences of Close Relationships (revised). We used factor analysis (extraction method: Principal Axis Factoring, rotation method: Promax and Oblimin with Kaiser Normalizations) to establish test validity and Cronbach’s alpha for test reliability. This US representative sample was also inclusive of a diverse sexual and relationship orientations.
Interpersonal Dynamics
61% and 56% of the total variance was explained using the Initial Eigenvalues and Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha in the reliability analysis was 0.921. Interpersonal Dynamics was highly correlated with couple satisfaction as measured by CSI (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.751, p<.001), dyadic adjustment as measured by RDAS (r = 0.689, p<.001), Eros and Apage types of love (r = 0.603 and 0.462 with p<.001, respectively). Interpersonal Dynamics Index did not have a significant correlation with an individual’s level of education, gender, age and length of relationship.
Relationship Outcomes
Using 5 items to assess global satisfaction, sense of thriving and fit, 75% and 69% of the total variance was explained using the Initial Eigenvalues and Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha in the reliability analysis was 0.916. These three relationship outcomes were highly correlated with couple satisfaction as measured by CSI (r = 0.804, p<.001), dyadic adjustment as measured by RDAS (r = 0.728, p<.001), Eros and Agape types of love (r = 0.665 and 0.386 with p<.001, respectively).
Emergent Love Scale
After confirmatory factor analysis, two factors and 17 items were identified in the following domains: global satisfaction, sense of thriving, sense of fit, mutual respect, compassion, love, trust, commitment, and physical attraction. 67% and 62% of the total variance was explained using the Initial Eigenvalues and Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings of the 2 identified factors, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha in the reliability analysis was 0.955. Emergent Love Index was highly correlated with couple satisfaction as measured by CSI (r = 0.801, p<.001), dyadic adjustment as measured by RDAS (r = 0.724, p<.001), Eros and Agape types of love (r = 0.650 and 0.443 with p<.001, respectively). Emergent Love Index did not have a significant correlation with an individual’s level of education, gender, age and length of relationship.
Sexual Health & Satisfaction Scale
After Factor Analysis, items were reduced to 6 and consisted of frequency of sex, satisfaction with the frequency of sex, satisfaction with the quality of sex, consensual sex (self and partner) as well as partner’s sexual desire. 69% and 55% of the total variance was explained using the Initial Eigenvalues and Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha in the reliability analysis was 0.716. Couple satisfaction as measured by Couple Satisfaction Index was moderately correlated with both factors of SHS Score (Pearson correlation coefficient of .443, p<.001). SHS score did not have a significant correlation with an individual’s level of education and gender; however, there was a weak but statistically significant negative correlation between SHS and the individual’s age and length of their relationship.
Other Scales and Measures
For more information on the validity and reliability of other scales and measures, please refer to the technical manual available on clinician-specific area of the website.
Core Outcomes

Six Ingredients of Emergent Love (Expressed)

Six Ingredients of Emergent Love (Experienced)

Individual Fundamentals

Shared Vision
