This Valentine’s season, relationship content has grown popular on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. “Couple’s quizzes” or “relationship tests”, especially, have been circulating the internet. These tests evaluate a number of criteria or aspects in a partner: whether they pay attention to the little things about you, how they perceive your relationship, and much more. Still, I’m curious about the true value of these tests. Is the“failing” of such tests grounds for rethinking or even ending a relationship? Or are these tests too far-fetched and overrated in their significance? First up is the orange peel test. If your partner helps you to peel an orange when asked, their love for you is real, however, if they refuse, their love for you is shallow. This trend has blown up on TikTok, garnering over millions of views with plenty of influencer endorsements. Understandably, the simplicity and straightforwardness of the test makes it a fun and easy trend to try. Personally, I don’t think it’s that deep. There could be a million reasons why your partner does or does not choose to peel your orange for you. Maybe they’re allergic, or bad at peeling oranges, or know that you are perfectly capable of peeling an orange yourself and want to respect the strong, independent individual that you are. I’m all for a fun viral trend that gives you a good laugh, but to seriously judge the depth and quality of someone’s feelings towards you based on such a random act is going a bit too far. Next up is the “bird test”. This test consists of mentioning something seemingly small or insignificant, such as seeing a certain type of bird or small detail, and seeing if your partner responds with genuine interest. For example, one TikTok user shared a video where she pointed out a cardinal nearby in front of her fiancé. In response he began to Google whether there was a special meaning associated with seeing that specific bird. At the bottom line, the idea is that no matter how unimportant the topic of interest is, your significant other should still acknowledge your interest. If they do, it indicates that the relationship has long term potential because your partner sees and appreciates you. On the other hand, if your partner blows you off and easily completely dismisses what you said, your future together might not look so bright. Unlike the orange peel test, the bird test is founded on more “scientific” principles. According to John Gottman, an American psychologist and professor who has studied couples in relationships for over 40 years, couples who engage more often with one another are more likely to stay together. This is known as either “turning towards” or “turning away” from one another when the other tries to connect. In Gottman’s research paper in the Journal of Marriage and the Family, he met initially with newlyweds and again six years later but found that married couples that remained together turned towards each other 86% of the time while couples who turned away from one another ended up in failed marriages 67% of the time. It’s safe to say that the bird test is a much more reliable metric of whether couples have long term compatibility. While the test itself may not claim to be such an “all-powerful” method of seeing whether your partner truly loves you (*cough cough* orange test), it is a good experiment to gauge how your partner tends to interact with you and whether that is working for your relationship. While the world of viral relationship tests may be fun to explore and attempt, you should proceed with caution when trying to apply their results to real life. Just like when checking a source for credibility, you should take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Take a moment to consider whether the criteria of these tests are grounded in facts and solid evidence rather than far fetched and baseless claims.