Interview with David Bernard

David Bernard is a specialist in the development of tools for evaluation and selection in the field of human resources. Educated at Paris V University, he is a psychologist and expert in psychometrics, and associate founder of AssessFirst*.

Why were you chosen to develop the Ulteem project?

Well, in order for the Ulteem project to succeed an expert was required not only in psychology, but also in psychometrics, to be able to calculate the compatibilty between two people; and in the field of information technology, to be able to offer members individual reports as well as reports detailing the strengths of their links with each member presented to them by Ulteem. What we are doing is making links between diverse qualities in people, something we do every day at AssessFirst, albeit usually in the workplace*.

With Ulteem, the focus is simply on dating! We have used our know-how in this area to help people with the most important thing of all: the search for love.

What do you think is the difference between Ulteem and other operators offering similar services?

We have come along at the right time. Although the couple is a cornerstone of our society, until recently, psychological research in this area has been lacking. If you look now at other operators in the same market as Ulteem they are falling over themselves to find industry professionals and psychologists to share their experience.

Since 2000 we have seen an increase in studies on these subjects, and several important works have recently been published on how couples start out.

Today, it's possible to use this new knowledge in a way that will directly help those hoping to start a relationship. This is what we have accomplished with Ulteem.

Our approach is without prejudice, and is open to new ideas and new research. We have been influenced both by past experience and by new research from recent years. We have made our methods available to everyone thanks to technology. We have the best of both worlds.

How did you create the Ulteem method?

We put together a project team consisting of relationship psychologists, psychoanalysts and specialists in psychometrics (the branch of psychology concerned with assessing psychological characteristics using quantitative testing methods).

The test combines elements of each of the fundamental values which form the character: there is a strong link between these values and the important decisions we make in life. The method is that of Schwartz who studied thousands of people in different countries around the world and found ten universal value groups. From this study we know that individuals, no matter what country they are from, have a system of values organised around these ten fundamental pillars.

What does the Ulteem Test show us?

When you complete the Ulteem Test, you remind yourself of your values and the fundamentals of your personality.

It can take time before the true personality of a partner is revealed. It is not uncommon for couples to only begin to discover problems once the honeymoon is over! With Ulteem, you are doing everything possible to protect yourself from trouble further down the line.

To assess the personality, we use the Big Five method favoured by psychologists. This method looks at: the need for stability, extraversion, originality, accommodation and consolidation.

The test also takes into consideration education and experience...

Once completed, a portrait of your personality and expectations is constructed. This is 40 minutes in which to enjoy a close look at yourself and your expectations.

How do you match two people up?

This is our speciality. After defining 71 criteria that can affect a relationship, we first created the test and now we are watching it work in reality!

We know that the results we come up with must produce a solid portrait of the character that will stand the test of time. To avoid the need for any later adjustments, we tested our model on a large number of couples who had been living together for at least 12 months.

What makes Ulteem different to other dating sites?

We aim to take into account the full complexity of the character and avoid falling into the trap of simplification. Our method takes into account both the similar and the complimentary aspects of a potential couple. This complex system is the result of months of work perfecting and fine tuning the model. We are also careful not to pass judgement. We needed a modern system that would help everyone with their individual search while avoiding generalisation.

In what way is Ulteem an innovative service?

The service provided by Ulteem brings together the most recent developments in the field of psychology with the powerful delivery possible with the best in information technology. Best of all, Ulteem is there to give everyone the chance to meet someone who is right for them, without making any judgements about character.

As everyone knows, love is blind - Ulteem is there to help bring some clarity to the early stages to give future relationships every chance of success.

A few bibliographical references regarding the psychology of the couple:

• De Singly, F. (1996) Le soi, le couple et la famille, Paris, Nathan.
• Kaufmann J.Cl. (1993) Sociologie du couple, Presses Universitaires de France, Paris.
• Kellerhals J., Widmer E. et Levy R. (2004) Mesure et démesure du couple. Cohésion, crises et résilience dans les couples contemporains, Payot, Paris.
• Kellerhals, J. & Montandon C. (1991), Les stratégies éducatives des familles. Milieu social, dynamique familiale et éducation des pré-adolescents. Delachaux et Niestlé, Lausanne.
• Widmer Eric, Kellerhals Jean, Levy, René: Couples contemporains: cohésion, régulation et conflit, Zürich, Seismo, 2003.
• Mucchielli, Roger. Psychologie de la vie conjugale [Texte imprimé] : connaissance du problème, applications pratiques, à l'usage des psychologues, des animateurs et des responsables.
• Willi, Jurg. La Relation de couple : le concept de collusion / Jurg Willi ; trad. de l'allemand par Rennée Monjarde.
• Caillé, Philippe ,1933-.... Magnus, Morten. Un et un font trois : le couple révélé à lui-même / Philippe Caillé ; illustrations de Morten Magnus.
• Claude Paquette, 1982. Analyse de ses valeurs personnelles. Éditions Québec Amérique.
• Wach M. et Hammer B., 2003. La structure des valeurs est-elle universelle ? Genèse et validation du modèle compréhensif de Schwartz. Logiques sociales.

To know more about APA and ETS:

• American Psychology Association (APA) : http://www.apa.org/about/
• APA (Women and Men) : http://www.apa.org/topics/topicwomenmen.html
• APA (Sexuality) : http://www.apa.org/topics/topicsbehavior.html
• APA (Marriage and divorce) : http://www.apa.org/topics/topicdivorce.html
• Educational Testing Service (ETS) : http://www.ets.org

Assess First are specialists in the evaluation of behavioural, emotional and relational competences, and in the development of tests and tools to help decision making. The solutions provided by Assess First facilitate the recruitment, management and evolution of candidates and partners in optimum conditions of efficiency and fairness.

The teams of psychologists and consultants work closely with the Assess First technological development centre to be able to deliver reliable and effective solutions adapted to the individual needs of businesses and human resources agencies. All of Assess First evaluation tools have been developed and approved according to the highest international standards (APA and ETS). Internet site: www.assessfirst.com.