Positive assortative pairing in social and romantic partners: A cross-cultural observational field study of naturally occurring pairs

This paper examines the degree of similarity in assortative pairing for life history strategy, mate value, delinquency, and sensational interests for same-sex friends compared to opposite-sex romantic partners in persons across a variety of nations that are culturally quite different, in spite of some sharing the same language. Specifically, we sampled participants from: (1) Tucson, Arizona, United States of America; (2) Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico; (3) San Jose, Costa Rica; and (4) Leicester, England. Due to the structure of the data and the nature of our research questions, we used a relatively new statistical tool called the Continuous Parameter Estimation Model (CPEM; Gorsuch, 2005), in order to estimate and compare assortative pairing coefficients between the four cultures. In all four cross-cultural western cultures replications, the inter-rater reliabilities, perceived assortative pairing coefficients, and actual assortative pairing coefficients of all four traits were generally substantial in magnitude, positive, and statistically significant among pairs of social partners as well as pairs of romantic partners.