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Generational differences in spouse similarity in education attainment

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Abstract

A lesser degree of assortative mating for educational attainment is reported for parents than for maternal and paternal grandparents of the three major raciallethnic groups (persons of Chinese, European, and Japanese ancestries) who took part in the Hawaii Family Study of Cognition. Differences across generations are significant for persons of European and of Japanese ancestries but not for persons of Chinese ancestry. The data support the belief that there has been a secular change toward decreased homogamy.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Biology Laboratory, University of Hawaii, 96822, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Frank M. Ahern, Ronald C. Johnson & Robert E. Cole

Authors
  1. Frank M. Ahern
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  2. Ronald C. Johnson
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  3. Robert E. Cole
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Additional information

The results reported here were made possible by the collaboration of a group of investigators (G. C. Ashton, R. C. Johnson, M. P. Mi, and M. N. Rashad at the Univeristy of Hawaii and J. C. DeFries, G. E. McClearn, S. G. Vandenberg, and J. R. Wilson at the University of Colorado) supported by National Science Foundation Grant GB-34720 and Grant HD-06669 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Ahern, F.M., Johnson, R.C. & Cole, R.E. Generational differences in spouse similarity in education attainment. Behav Genet 13, 95–98 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071747

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071747

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