Choosing a Spouse in the United States
Choosing a Spouse in the United States
Michael J Bergloff, Alex Bothe and Ross Barry 5/10/2012
The objective through this research is to further understand how certain individual preferences influence the marriage process. Current and archived literature was examined on the topic of marriage matching tendencies in which lead to the development of a unique framework to evaluate the preferences of males and females. Several preferences were tested, which included income, education and age, to determine the effectiveness of the framework provided. These tests were constructed using regression techniques and empirical data from the American Community Survey to see if a positive correlation exists between the three independent variables and mate selection at the time of marriage. The results from the regression models of income, education and age reveal that these preferences play a predominant part of choosing a soul mate, further indicating that people seek a marital partner with characteristics similar to their own.
I. Introduction Over the past several decades, there has been an increased discussion and study in social issues among economists (Becker 1973). One of the most prominent topics that has been studied and continues to be researched is the issue of marriage. For many Americans, deciding to marry and who to marry to are often considered the most important choices an individual can make. Furthermore, social scientists are particularly interested in the mating process as it can provide a unique insight on the characteristics of household demographics. The primary purpose of this paper will be examining how marriages are formed and which individual preferences influence spousal selection. A theoretical framework will be shown using the work provided by some of the most prominent academics whom have written on the topic of marriage. The framework will provide a mathematical approach displaying how males and females choose their marital partner from each
Michael J Bergloff, Alex Bothe and Ross Barry 5/10/2012
The objective through this research is to further understand how certain individual preferences influence the marriage process. Current and archived literature was examined on the topic of marriage matching tendencies in which lead to the development of a unique framework to evaluate the preferences of males and females. Several preferences were tested, which included income, education and age, to determine the effectiveness of the framework provided. These tests were constructed using regression techniques and empirical data from the American Community Survey to see if a positive correlation exists between the three independent variables and mate selection at the time of marriage. The results from the regression models of income, education and age reveal that these preferences play a predominant part of choosing a soul mate, further indicating that people seek a marital partner with characteristics similar to their own.
I. Introduction Over the past several decades, there has been an increased discussion and study in social issues among economists (Becker 1973). One of the most prominent topics that has been studied and continues to be researched is the issue of marriage. For many Americans, deciding to marry and who to marry to are often considered the most important choices an individual can make. Furthermore, social scientists are particularly interested in the mating process as it can provide a unique insight on the characteristics of household demographics. The primary purpose of this paper will be examining how marriages are formed and which individual preferences influence spousal selection. A theoretical framework will be shown using the work provided by some of the most prominent academics whom have written on the topic of marriage. The framework will provide a mathematical approach displaying how males and females choose their marital partner from each