Match makers and deal breakers: analyses of assortative mating in newlywed couples.
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.
Watson
David
D
Department of Psychology, E11 Seashore Hall, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1407, USA. david-watson@uiowa.edu
Klohnen
Eva C
EC
Casillas
Alex
A
Simms
Ericka Nus
EN
Haig
Jeffrey
J
Berry
Diane S
DS
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