Youngsters are now going in for psychometric assessments to find their true love. Experts say it can help in reducing the number of breakups and divorce cases and finding a compatible partner
As he sits with his parents, Vir Das counts number of sugar cubes Katrina Kaif puts in his tea. When they both go out for a movie, he calculates the frequency of her laughter. These are the scenes from movie Namastey london and Das was making assessments to evaluate the compatibility the two would have if they get married. The sequence from the movie explains the phenomenon which is fast seeping into the Indian youth. Psychometric assessments are emerging as new rules of the matrimonial game, which was once dominated by the preferences of community, horoscopes and celestial movements. Kundalis are passe as youngsters prefer to evaluate each other through attitude, behaviour, aptitude, humour, hobbies, preferences, likes and dislikes.
A latest survey by Jombay revealed how more and more youngsters are keen on psychometric assessments in finding a match or improving their existing relationships. A whopping 36 per cent people said they would love to use assessments for finding a match instead of using horoscopes.
Clutter breaker
Traditionally, cast, community and religion played an important role while choosing life partner. But education and media have played a vital role in breaking down the rigid norms of traditions. “Caste, religion, financial status and career used to make up the social CV of a prospective mate. Our society is gradually coming out of these preconceived notions. People are better informed and exposed to worldly lifestyles. Also, relationships are growing fragile, thus emotional quotient of a partner plays an important role to sustain a marriage. A proper assessment to understand if a person will crack or buckle under emotional stress becomes a determining factor in unions,” says psychiatrist Nikhil Raheja. Psychometrics lets one delve into the unknown personality traits of a potential partner. According to Gourav Rakshit, COO of Shaadi.com, “There has been a change of outlook over the years. People emphasise on compatibility.”
Redefined matchmaking
Realising the demand of the day, there is a flood of ‘new-age’ matchmaking portals which have no space for celestial or horoscope domains. TrulyMadly.com promotes personal interactions among like-minded individuals. Rahul Kumar, co-founder of the website, says, “People want to be in a relationship with someone they can get along with. A relationship needs an understanding. That’s what we establish through the compatibility tests. We match people based on their reactions to situations, everyday issues, as well as their expectations. We spoke to over 3,000 couples and 2,000 singles, understood the issues and developed a system for matchmaking.”
The thought is shared my Mandeep Kaur, who found Matchmecupid.com. He believes that the whole “e-meeting between two individuals” has to undergo a paradigm shift. “Psychometric tests can give an indication about the kind of person one is. But, it is important to keep in mind that we draw conclusions from the responses. We can do nothing if an individual tampers with them. We assume that our client has answered the questions as honestly as possible,” she says.
Is this loveIJ
The traditional matchmakers disapprove of excessive scrutiny of partners. They question the concept of ‘love at convenience’ where partners are expected to be perfect all their lives. “It’s a bad idea to be particular about every minute detail when we know, we humans are bound to change. Our forefathers have had unperturbed relationships for decades. Had they been so careful about the way their partners would walk or talk, I wonder if our own existence would have been possible,” says 50-year-old insurance agent Rekha Bajaj. As per counsellor Dr AK Gupta, love is a journey that teaches compassion. “It must be experienced rather than computing psychometric formulas for it,” he says. He also questions the accuracy of these psychometric tests. “It can be a tool to help take better decisions related to marriage. There are significant chances that a psychometrically incompatible couple can lead a blissful married life,” he says.
(Inputs by Darpan Mago and Trisha Mukherjee)