Working Paper: NBER ID: w20402
Authors: Abigail Weitzman; Dalton Conley
Abstract: Studies of online dating suggest that physical attraction is a key factor in early relationship formation, but say little about the role of attractiveness in longer-term relationships. Meanwhile, assortative coupling and exchange models widely employed in demographic research overlook the powerful sorting function of initial and sustained physical attraction. This article observes the effects of one physical characteristic of men--height--on various relationship outcomes in longer-term relationships, including spouses' attributes, marriage entry and stability, and the division of household labor. Drawing on two different cohorts from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the authors show that (1) height-coupling norms have changed little over the last three decades, (2) short, average, and tall men's spouses are qualitatively different from one another (3) short men marry and divorce at lower rates than others and (4) both men's height relative to other men and their height relative to their spouse are related to the within-couple distribution of household labor and earnings. These findings depict an enduring height hierarchy among men on in the spousal marriage market. Further, they indicate that at least one physical characteristic commonly associated with physical attraction influences the formation, functioning, and stability of longer-term relationships.
Keywords: Height; Relationship Dynamics; Assortative Coupling; Marriage Stability; Household Labor
JEL Codes: J12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| men's height (I14) | qualities of partners they attract (L15) |
| short men's height (D31) | odds of partnering with women who did not graduate high school (J79) |
| men's height (I14) | likelihood of entering a marriage (J12) |
| short men's height (D31) | lower marriage hazards (J12) |
| tall men's height (J19) | increase in marriage likelihood after age 30 (J12) |
| men's height (I14) | stability of relationships (C62) |
| short men's height (D31) | lower rates of separation (J12) |
| men's height (I14) | division of household labor (D13) |
| taller men's height (J19) | lower odds of performing more housework than their spouse (D13) |