About MindMatch
We identify the perfect psychological theorist for you and provide interventions, exercises, and resources that perfectly match your worldview.
Our Mission
The field of psychology is unlike any other. Its history is divided into "systems", each with unique foundational assumptions, terminology, and interventions.
It is our belief that each system of psychology can be uniquely valuable to each individual. We have created this resource to help match you with theories and interventions most aligned with your worldview.
Our Promises
- ✓Completely free access to every theorist and their evidence-based interventions
- ✓Built by a clinical psychology expert with deep knowledge of the field
- ✓Rigorous, peer-reviewed questionnaires based on established psychological research
- ✓Transparent methodology grounded in consensus modeling and historical accuracy
- ✓Continuously evolving with new theorists and exercises being added
Our Methodology
Ranking psychological theorists is historically a subjective challenge. Some theorists systems changed over their careers. Others claimed to adhere to certain principles but fail to live up to the modern critera for those principles. To create a consistent, unbiased map of psychological history, we utilized a four-step Consensus Modeling Process.
Here is how we determined the coordinates for every theorist on this site.
Operationalizing the Axes
To avoid matching users based on gut response, we first defined strict rubrics for our two primary dimensions.
The X-Axis: Agency (Free Will vs. Determinism)
(-1) Hard Determinism: Behavior is the mathematical result of biology, environment, and physics. "Choice" is an illusion. (e.g., B.F. Skinner, Robert Sapolsky)
(+1) Radical Free Will: Humans are condemned to be free and are fully responsible for their existence, regardless of context. (e.g., Viktor Frankl, Sartre)
The Y-Axis: Epistemology (Scientific vs. Intuitive)
(+1) Pure Empirical: Truth is only what can be measured, quantified, and replicated in a laboratory. (e.g., Kahneman, Pavlov)
(-1) Pure Intuitive: Truth is found in subjective experience, symbols, and deep interpretation. (e.g., Jung, Lacan)
The "Anchor" System
Before plotting the complex middle-ground theorists, we established Anchor Points—theorists who represent the absolute extremes of each quadrant. These four corners created a relative scale against which all other theorists were measured.
The Biological Anchor: B.F. Skinner (Top Left)
The Rational Anchor: Albert Ellis (Top Right)
The Depth Anchor: Sigmund Freud (Bottom Left)
The Existential Anchor: Viktor Frankl (Bottom Right)
The "Wisdom of Crowds" Consensus
Single interpretations of theorists are often biased. To solve this, we employed a Multi-Model Consensus Technique.
- •We fed our strict rubric and historical data into multiple advanced AI language models.
- •We asked each model to independently score the theorists based on their "Peak Influence" era.
- •We aggregated the data to find the Weighted Average.
This process smoothed out individual biases. For example, while some sources view Noam Chomsky as a determinist (due to innate biological structures) and others as a libertarian (due to creative language use), our consensus model placed him almost exactly in the center (+0.05), reflecting the paradox of his work.
The Historian's Audit
Finally, the data was subjected to a human expert review to correct for "Pop Psychology" misconceptions versus historical reality.
Correction Example: Carl Rogers is often viewed as purely "feeling-based" (Low Science). However, our audit moved him up the Scientific Axis because he was a pioneer in using statistical recording methods to measure therapy outcomes.
Correction Example: William James was shifted toward Free Will to reflect his famous philosophical declaration: "My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will."
Summary
The coordinates you see are not random; they are the result of a triangulated approach combining historical texts, multiple-source analysis, and rigorous operational definitions. This ensures that when you match with a theorist, you are matching with their true academic stance, not just their public persona.
What We're Building
Psychological Theorists
A carefully curated collection of psychological schools and theories spanning a century of thought.
Evidence-Based Interventions
Practical exercises and tools derived from each theorist's approach to help you apply psychological insights.
Completely Free
All theorists and interventions are accessible at no cost, forever, for anyone seeking support.
We're Just Getting Started
MindMatch launched to help people discover which psychological approach resonates with them. We're still in our early days—and that's exciting. We're actively gathering feedback, adding new theorists and interventions, and building features based on what the community needs.
Your experience, insights, and ideas help shape where we go next. If you believe in making rigorous psychology accessible to everyone, consider supporting us through Patreon or sharing MindMatch with those who might benefit.
Meet the Creator
Henry Kile, M.A.
Creator
Columbia University clinical psychology graduate, now medical student at The University of Washington.
Find Your MindMatch
Discover which psychological theorist aligns with your worldview and get personalized interventions.