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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

G. A Harrison
Affiliation:
Anthropology Laboratory, Department of Human Anatomy, University of Oxford
J. B Gibson
Affiliation:
Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra
R. W Hiorns
Affiliation:
Department of Biomathematics, University of Oxford

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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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References

Harrison, G.A., Gibson, J.B., Hiorns, R.W., Wigley, J.M., Hancock, C., Freeman, C.A., Küchemann, C.F., Macbeth, H.M., Saatcio-Glu, A. & Carrivick, P.J. (1974) Psychometric, personality and anthropometric variation in a group of Oxfordshire villages. Ann. hum. Biol. 1, 365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spuhler, J.N. (1967) Behavior and mating patterns in human populations. In: Genetic Diversity and Human Behavior. Edited by Spuhler, J. N. Aldine, Chicago.Google Scholar
Spuhler, J.N. (1968) Assortative mating with respect to physical traits. Eugen. Q. 15, 128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar