title: Match makers and deal breakers: analyses of assortative mating in newlywed couples.
abstract: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of assortative mating (i.e., the similarity between wives and husbands on a given characteristic) in a newlywed sample. These newlyweds showed (a) strong similarity in age, religiousness, and political orientation; (b) moderate similarity in education and verbal intelligence; (c) modest similarity in values; and (d) little similarity in matrix reasoning, self- and spouse-rated personality, emotional experience and expression, and attachment. Further analyses established that similarity was not simply due to background variables such as age and education and reflected initial assortment (i.e., similarity at the time of marriage) rather than convergence (i.e., increasing similarity with time). Finally, marital satisfaction primarily was a function of the rater's own traits and showed little relation to spousal similarity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, E11 Seashore Hall, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1407, USA. david-watson@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Eva C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Klohnen
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casillas
authors.forename: Ericka Nus
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Simms
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haig
authors.forename: Diane S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003710:Demography; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011057:Politics; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires