Is spousal similarity for personality a matter of convergence or selection?

Abstract

We investigated whether spousal similarity for personality traits results from convergence (i.e., couples becoming more similar to one another over time) or selection (i.e., individuals selecting partners with similar traits) in a sample of 1,296 married couples. Personality was assessed using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. We evaluated whether similarity increased with increasing length of marriage. Evidence of spousal convergence was inconsistent across analyses, arguing against this mechanism as a compelling explanation for spousal similarity. Accordingly, selection processes may better explain spousal similarity in these data. The one exception might be for aggressive aspects of personality.Keywords personality similarity; assortative mating; spousal convergence Although the degree of spousal similarity for broad personality traits such as extraversion and neuroticism is somewhat inconsistent, the similarity coefficients are generally positive (e.g., Gattis, Berns, Simpson, & Christensen, 2004;Humbad, Donnellan, Iacono, & Burt, 2010;Watson et al., 2004). This raises the important question as to whether this similarity results from selection processes or spousal convergence over time. These processes have important, but very different, implications. Most notably, if partners become more or less similar to each other over time, it would support the notion that environmental factors (i.e., spouses) shape the course of adult personality development. However, evidence for any systematic social effects on personality development has a contentious status in the current literature (e.g., McCrae & Costa, 2008, p. 168). Alternately, observed spousal similarity could be a function of selection processes, pointing to assortative mating (i.e., the tendency for individuals to select partners resembling them based on certain characteristics) for personality traits. Identification of this latter process would also be important, as assortative mating could influence the intergenerational transmission of certain personality traits (e.g., Loehlin, 1992) and thereby violate common assumptions in many behavioral genetic models.The current literature generally provides weak support for spousal convergence as an explanation for spousal similarity (e.g., Barelds, 2005;Caspi, Ozer, & Herbener, 1992;Luo & Klohnen, 2005;Watson et al., 2004 et al. (2004) found that newlyweds, who had little chance to become more similar to one another over time, were similar on various attitudes and personality related dimensions, pointing to assortative mating rather than convergence. Caspi et al. (1992) found that over a 20-year time period couples did not become increasingly similar in domains such as personal values and attitudes towards marriage. Finally, other researchers have found that length of marriage does not moderate spousal similarity, again providing little support for the convergence hypothesis (Buss, 1984; Caspi et al., Luo & Klohnen, 2005;Watson et al., 2004).The current paper aims to extend existing literat...

Emotional suppression in early marriage

“…Similarity has been generally ascribed to positive assortment for almost every domain tested (Caspi, Herbener, & Ozer, 1992;Gonzaga et al, 2007;Humbad et al, 2010;Luo & Klohnen, 2005), supporting the idea that individuals seek relational partners who are similar to themselves (Buss, 1984).…”

“…So far, no studies have examined similarity in emotion regulation; however, research assessing similarity in personality traits has found evidence of low but generally positive levels of similarity due to positive assortment (Barelds & Barelds-Dijkstra, 2007;Caspi & Herbener, 1990;Furler, Gomez, & Grob, 2013;Gaunt, 2006;Gonzaga et al, 2007Gonzaga et al, , 2010Humbad et al, 2010;Luo & Klohnen, 2005;Russell & Wells, 1991;Watson et al, 2004). In other words, people tend to prefer partners with similar personalities, even though this tendency is generally weak.…”

“…That is, individuals tend to select partners who are relatively similar in their use of suppression but partners do not seem to align more with each other in their habitual use of this strategy over time. Similarly, there is little evidence of convergence as an explanation of similarity in personality (e.g., Humbad et al, 2010).…”

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“…In order to specify a measure of marital suitability for any given pair of individuals, we have drawn from the literature on positive assortative matching in social psychology, meaning the empirically observed tendency for "like to marry like" (Botwin et al, 1997). Partners tend to be similar in a range of characteristics, including personality traits, and empirical evidence indicates that this occurs through selection rather than convergence over time (Humbad, 2010). Popular theories such as the Myers-Briggs indicator and the Five Factor model both suggest a variety of personality traits.…”