Presenters: J.F. Homer, P.K. Robins, M.T. French
Title: "Do Non-Cognitive Traits Influence Romantic Partner Arrangements? Evidence from a Sample of Young Adults."
Abstract:
This study investigates whether three interviewer-assessed, non-cognitive traits (physical attractiveness, personality, and grooming) are significantly related to the likelihood of being in a cohabiting or marital relationship. The data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a recent dataset with a large sample of young adults (N=14,791). Using an ordered probit model, it is found that being physically unattractive significantly reduces the probability of being in a marital or cohabiting relationship for men, while good grooming increases the probability. For women, a pleasant personality increases the likelihood of being in a cohabiting or marital relationship, while the opposite is true for women with disagreeable personalities. Numerous sensitivity tests support the core findings.

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