Frameworks
The Pulse Index
A composite measure of relationship health across a population, computed from continuous behavioral signal rather than self-report.
Definition
The Pulse Index is the umbrella construct under which Love Pulse Labs reports population-level relationship health. It blends five independently measurable dimensions: drift, repair velocity, presence ratio, rhythm consistency, and desire signal. The index describes a group, never an individual. Couples never see their own Pulse Index score.
How it is measured
Each dimension is computed across all couples whose data meets two gates. Both partners must have active Tier 2 consent, and the cohort must clear a K-anonymity floor of fifty couples. Dimension scores are normalized to a common range and combined into the composite Pulse Index for the reporting period. Quarterly publication is the default cadence.
Why it matters
Relationship science has historically depended on small-sample survey work. The Pulse Index is the first population-scale vital sign for romantic relationships, comparable in role to the Consumer Confidence Index for the economy or unemployment rate for the labor market. It does not predict the fate of any single couple. It describes the shape of the whole.
Related terms
Drift Score
The rate at which two partners are emotionally distancing from each other, computed from engagement decay and attention markers.
Repair Velocity
How quickly a couple returns to baseline connection after a moment of rupture. The single strongest predictor of long-term stability in our data.
Presence Ratio
The proportion of shared time in which both partners are giving mutual attention, as opposed to coexisting in parallel.
Rhythm Consistency
How reliably a couple maintains their connective rituals across time, including across periods of stress, travel, or disruption.
Desire Signal
The active pull between two partners. Not only physical attraction. The broader desire to be chosen, known, and prioritized by a specific person.
Cite this entry
Love Pulse Labs. (2026). The Pulse Index. The Lexicon. https://lovepulselabs.com/lexicon/pulse-index
Definition v1.0. First published May 13, 2026.