StayGo, a free mobile app, allows users to gauge the compatibility of their relationship through science. The Android and iOS application was created by a number of psychologists including the University’s own Dr. Gary Lewandowski, Chair of the Psychology Department.
Since its release nearly a year ago, the app has had over 50,000 downloads according to Lewandowski.
While many apps and sites exist for similar tasks, StayGo is unique. “We’ve grounded every aspect of this app in science.” Dr. Lewandowski said. “There are already a bunch of websites and apps made to help people find love, but there are very few that actually help people evaluate the quality of their relationships and know which one is worth pursuing.”
Staygoapp.com, states that StayGo is “the world’s first app that combines social feedback with scientific methods to evaluate romantic relationships with stunning accuracy.”
The app works by employing both scientific algorithms and the input of both the user and his or her friends. Users first submit their location, orientation and age, and then supply the app with information about the habits of both themselves and their significant other.
From this data the app calculates an “SG Score” from 1 to 100. The healthier a relationship is, the higher its score. If a relationship’s score is lower, it may either need some tweaking, or it might simply be unlikely to work out in the long run.
In order to monitor the ups and downs of your relationship over time, the app also has a feature called the ‘SG Tracker.’ “This feature allows users to track their relationship quality along 3 dimensions each day, almost like a FitBit for relationships,” said Lewandowski. “We know that people are very bad at accurately noticing changes in quality- take for example if your relationship is slowly getting worse- so this helps users pick up on those trends.”
As a researcher who has dedicated much of his time and work studying relationships, Lewandowski strove to make the app as accurate and thorough as possible. Since its release a number of tech news sites have taken notice of the app, including Digital Spy, Tech Times, & Consumer Electronic News.
Dr. Raman Lakshmanan, an adjunct computer science professor, noted that the app’s strengths: “The app has quite a few nice features, such as its sharing of content anonymously, and its instantaneous and continuous feedback. It looks like it is implemented very well, and it will be a very effective app if users see a value in it.”
Some students who have heard about the app have taken a liking to the idea. “It’s pretty innovative if you ask me,” said Steven Ravien, a first-year fine arts student, “I like how this app can test how strong a relationship is, and maybe it’ll even help you see if the girl or guy you’re with is the one.”
Pratik Patel, a first year biology student, said, “Not only is it a really cool idea, but the science behind it seems to be well founded. I can see it continuing to take off.”
Dr. Lewandowski in particular wants to spread the word about StayGo so that people will be less likely to see their love lives descend into a cycle of constant heartbreak. “Relationships are important. Time is short, and mistakes are costly. StayGo can help you learn the truth about your relationships faster.”
IMAGE TAKEN by Jamilah McMillan
