Abstract
The use of linear models to discriminate between primary and secondary assortative mating has allowed a significant advance in our understanding of the mate selection process. We describe how these methods may be implemented in the LISREL and COSAN packages and illustrate the method with data on cognitive ability, education, and personality reported by Phillipset al. (Behav. Genet. 18:347–356, 1988). Issues discussed include the interface between path diagrams and computer program specification, the near-independence of parameters for within-person correlations from parameters for marital correlations, and the fact that almost all of marital resemblance for IQ seems to be due to assortative mating for educational level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitken, A. C. (1934). Note on selection from a multivariate normal population.Proc. Edin. Math. Soc. B 4:106–110.
Carey, G. (1986). A general multivariate approach to linear modeling in human genetics.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 39:775–786.
Cattell, R. B., Eber, H. W., and Tatsuoka, M. (1970).Handbook for the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, Champaign, Ill.
Cloninger, C. R. (1980). Interpretation of intrinsic and extrinsic structural relations by path analysis: Theory and applications to assortative mating.Genet. Res. 36:133–145.
Fraser, C. (1988).COSAN User's Guide, Unpublished documentation, Centre for Behavioural Studies in Education, University of New England, Armidal, NSW, Australia 2351.
Fulker, D. W. (1988). Genetic and cultural transmission in human behavior. In Weir, B. S., Eisen, E. J., Goodman, M., and Namkoong, G. (eds.),Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Quantitative Genetics Massachusetts, Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Mass.
Heath, A. C., and Eaves, L. J. (1985). Resolving the effects of phenotype and social background on mate selection.Behav. Genet. 15:15–30.
Heath, A. C., Berg, K., Eaves, L. J., Solaas, M. H., Sundet, J., Nance, W. E., Corey, L. A., and Magnus, P. (1985). No decline in assortative mating for educational level.Behav. Genet. 15:349–369.
Jöreskog, K. G., and Sörbom, D. (1988).LISREL 7: A Guide to the Program and Applications, SPSS, Chicago.
McArdle, J. J. (1980). Causal modeling applied to psychonomic systems simulation.Behav. Res. Methods Implement. 12:193–209.
McArdle, J. J., and Horn, J. L. (1989). An effective graphic representation for linear structural equation models.Multivar. Behav. Res. (in press).
McArdle, J. J., and McDonald, R. P. (1984). Some algebraic properties of the reticular action model for moment structures.Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol. 37:234–251.
Neale, M. C. (1989). A latent variable model of assortative mating.Behav. Genet. 19:770 (abstract).
Neale, M. C., Eaves, L. J., Heath, A. C., and Hewitt, J. K. (1990). Confirmatiory canonical correlation analysis: A parsimonious model for assortative mating (in preparation).
Pearson, K. (1902). Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution. XI. On the influence of natural selection on the variability and correlation of organs.Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 200:1–66.
Pearson, K., and Lee, A. (1903). On the laws of inheritance in man.Biometrika 2:357–396.
Phillips, K., Fulker, D. W., Carey, G., and Nagoshi, C. T. (1988). Direct marital assortment for cognitive and personality variables.Behav. Genet. 18:347–356.
Van Eerdewegh, P. (1982).Statistical Selection in Multivariate Systems with Applications in Quantitative Genetics, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
Vogler, G. P. (1985). Multivariate path analysis of familial resemblance.Genet. Epid. 2:35–54.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The work described in this paper was performed while in reccipt of NIH, NIMH, and NIA Grants MH-40828, AA-06781, GM-30250, AG-04954, HL-31010, and AG-07137.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neale, M.C., McArdle, J.J. The analysis of assortative mating: A LISREL model. Behav Genet 20, 287–296 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067796
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067796