Assortative marriage for psychometric, personality and anthropometric variation in a group of Oxfordshire villages

Abstract

Summary: A study has been made in a group of rural Oxfordshire villages of levels of similarity between husbands and wives for IQ, personality and some anthropometric characteristics. Significant levels of assortative marriage have been found in both verbal and performance IQ, personality ‘inconsistency’, stature, weight and some other bodily dimensions. Their nature has been analysed by time of marriage, birthplace and social class, all of which appear to have marked effects. On the other hand, length of courtship and distance apart of the partners' residences at marriage seem to be more or less inconsequential.