Mate selection in man: evidence, theory, and outcome.

Abstract

This is a comprehensivve review of the literature on mate selection and non-random mating in man. The 5 sections discuss: 1) genetic and sociobiological aspects of non-random mating for complex traits; 2) evidence on resemblance between spouses (homogamy) on a large variety of traits such as intelligence, personality, physical characteristics, and sociocultural traits; 3) sociological and psychological theories offered to explain assortative mating (non-random, based on like and unlike characterstics; 4) implications of assortative mating for marital satisfaction or quality; and 5) a general summary which includes ideas for future research. When assortative mating for a trait is correlated with fertility, the consequences are magnified, making the trait more exteme and isolated, increasing chances for selection. Sociobiological theory holds that positive assortative mating may be the best way to duplicate one's genes and increase one's inclusive fitness while avoiding the harmful effects of inbreeding. Empirical studies have found homogamy for sociocultural characteristics is more evident than for psychological traits. Assortative mating for the latter is not random, but it is still unclear which personality variables are most highly correlated among married couples. Sociological theories can explain choice of eligibles but not mates within those eligibles, and a survey of the psychological research between the 1940s and 1980s shows a trend from pure descriptive studies of similarity and complementarity to "process theories" (Kerckhoff and Davis, 1962, and Murstein, 1976). Psychological explanations presented include psychoanalytic filter and process theories, the stimulus-vaule-role (SVR) theory, ideal mate theory, intrumental theory, and the matching hypothesis. Factors influencing marital satisfaction have yet to be reliably measured; personality research thus far has yielded inconclusive and conflicting data. Finally, factors leading to choice of marriage partners need to be studied from the point of view of multivariate profiles rather than single traits. Such studies will require sophisticated methodologies of research design and data analysis.