Editorial policy

Who is responsible for the content

Caleb Merridan writes and publishes Intimate Relationships. The articles and activities help readers reflect on communication, boundaries, dating, and everyday relationship decisions. Read about Caleb for the background behind the work.

Experience, interpretation, and evidence

Personal experience and illustrative examples can help explain a relationship pattern, but they do not establish what another person thinks or feels. Articles should distinguish observable behavior from interpretation and should not promise a particular romantic outcome.

When an article makes a research-based claim, the relevant source should be linked near the claim or in a sources section. Prefer original research and established professional or public-health organizations. A citation is not an endorsement of this website. We do not describe material as clinically validated or professionally reviewed unless that specific claim can be substantiated.

Quizzes, games, and tools

Quizzes are self-reflection activities, not psychological diagnoses or validated clinical assessments. A result is based on the answers you select; it cannot determine another person's intentions, diagnose attachment or mental-health conditions, or decide whether you should stay in a relationship. Different answers should lead to relevant explanations and practical next steps, rather than a prediction presented as fact.

Games offer optional conversation prompts. Either person can skip a prompt or stop. Calculators and planning tools describe their assumptions and help organize a decision; they cannot replace financial, legal, medical, or therapeutic advice.

Images and assisted production

Some editorial illustrations are AI-generated. An illustration is not evidence of a real person, customer experience, clinical outcome, or before-and-after result. Generated portraits must not be presented as photographs of the author. Illustrative scenarios and images should not be treated as reader testimonials.

Software-assisted drafting, formatting, or illustration does not establish accuracy. The publisher remains responsible for checking claims, sources, links, and whether the finished content is useful.

Corrections and updates

To report a problem, email hello@intimaterelationships.org with the page URL and the passage or behavior concerned. Include a source or a reproducible example where possible. Confirmed errors are corrected in the affected content. Material revisions should carry an updated date; a date should not be changed simply to make an unchanged article appear fresh.

Advertising and independence

Selected articles may carry clearly labeled advertising when advertising is enabled. Ads are separate from editorial recommendations and do not establish that a product is suitable for you. We do not ask readers to click ads to support the website. Any paid placement or affiliate relationship should be disclosed alongside the relevant recommendation.

Limits and safety

General relationship guidance cannot account for your full circumstances. If you are experiencing coercion, abuse, stalking, or immediate danger, seek appropriate local professional or emergency support. Do not use a quiz score to dismiss a safety concern. The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers information and support in the United States; use a safe device if your browsing may be monitored.