title: Aggregate age-at-marriage patterns from individual mate-search heuristics.
abstract: The distribution of age at first marriage shows well-known strong regularities across many countries and recent historical periods. We accounted for these patterns by developing agent-based models that simulate the aggregate behavior of individuals who are searching for marriage partners. Past models assumed fully rational agents with complete knowledge of the marriage market; our simulated agents used psychologically plausible simple heuristic mate search rules that adjust aspiration levels on the basis of a sequence of encounters with potential partners. Substantial individual variation must be included in the models to account for the demographically observed age-at-marriage patterns.
authors.affiliation: Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzealle 94, 14195 Berlin, Germany. ptodd@mpib-berlin.mpg.de
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Francesco C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Billari
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simão
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D012383:Romania