Assortative mating: Personality and values

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze different aspects of assortative mating. One of the goals is to compare spouse similarity for personality (broad and narrow traits) and values. The second aim is to compare self-ratings and spouse ratings (“perceived assortment”). Lastly, the study compares perception of spouse and perception of the same-sex parent (for example, how wife perceives her husband and her father). The sample includes nearly 1000 married couples whose marriage duration varies from a few months to 50 years. The results support: (1) higher spouse similarity for values than for personality; (2) higher similarity for self-rating than for cross-rating and (3) difference between husbands’ and wives’ “spouse-parent” perception (husbands’ evaluations of their wives and mothers more similar as compared to wives’ evaluations of their husbands and fathers). The study is supported by RFBR (project 12-06-00342).