Sex by Age Difference in Couples Applying for Marriage

Abstract

The purpose was to look at the ages of couples applying for marriage licenses and to assess whether the preferences for younger or older mates continues. Analysis indicated that in 63% of couples the male partner was the older, with men on average being two years older than women. However, when looking at the age range for “male-older” couples in comparison with that for “female-older,” no significant difference was found. These results are discussed in relation to sociobiological and reinforcement theories.