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Cited by 105Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAnimal Behavior and ReproductionGenetic Associations and Epidemiology

Evidence of correlations between human partners based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 22 traits and UK Biobank analysis of 133 traits

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Horwitz, Tanya B., Balbona, Jared V., Paulich, Katie N., Keller, Matthew C.·2023·Nature Human Behaviour
DOI 10.1038/s41562-023-01672-zPMC PMC10967253

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Abstract

Positive correlations between mates can increase trait variation and prevalence, as well as bias estimates from genetically informed study designs. While past studies of similarity between human mating partners have largely found evidence of positive correlations, to our knowledge, no formal meta-analysis has examined human partner correlations across multiple categories of traits. Thus, we conducted systematic reviews and random-effects meta-analyses of human male-female partner correlations across 22 traits commonly studied by psychologists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists and geneticists. Using ScienceDirect, PubMed and Google Scholar, we incorporated 480 partner correlations from 199 peer-reviewed studies of co-parents, engaged pairs, married pairs and/or cohabitating pairs that were published on or before 16 August 2022. We also calculated 133 trait correlations using up to 79,074 male-female couples in the UK Biobank (UKB). Estimates of the 22 mean meta-analysed correlations ranged from r meta = 0.08 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.03, 0.13) for extraversion to r meta = 0.58 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.50, 0.64) for political values, with funnel plots showing little evidence of publication bias across traits. The 133 UKB correlations ranged from r UKB = -0.18 (adjusted 95% CI = -0.20, -0.16) for chronotype (being a 'morning' or 'evening' person) to r UKB = 0.87 (adjusted 95% CI = 0.86, 0.87) for birth year. Across analyses, political and religious attitudes, educational attainment and some substance use traits showed the highest correlations, while psychological (that is, psychiatric/personality) and anthropometric traits generally yielded lower but positive correlations. We observed high levels of between-sample heterogeneity for most meta-analysed traits, probably because of both systematic differences between samples and true differences in partner correlations across populations.

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  • The primary explanation for positive LDSC estimates of correlation between DGEs and average NTCs for height and EA is likely assortative mating, which is strong for EA and height, although IGEs that are positively correlated with DGEs could also contribute.

    “The primary explanation is likely AM, which is strong for EA and height25,31, although IGEs that are positively correlated with DGEs could also contribute3.”

    From Family-GWAS reveals effects of environment and mating on genetic associations (2024) · cites this paper as [31]

    The Results (Partner Correlations in the UK Biobank; page unavailable) report substantial partner similarity for educational attainment (r = 0.48) but a smaller correlation for height (r = 0.27), which the paper characterizes as low-to-moderate rather than strong. This citation supports assortative mating for both traits, but not the characterization of height assortment as strong. The sentence cites other sources for the possible IGE contribution; this verdict does not assess that clause. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Since AM is strong for all of these phenotypes, these results suggest that larger LDSC SNP heritability estimates from population effects are primarily due to AM, with the influence of population stratification diminished to the degree that LDSC successfully adjusts for it.

    “Since AM is strong for all of these phenotypes31 (AM is likely for age at first birth in women indirectly due to the correlation of age at first birth with EA29,37), these results suggest that larger LDSC SNP heritability estimates from population effects are primarily due to AM6, with the influence of population stratification diminished to the degree that LDSC successfully adjusts for it.”

    From Family-GWAS reveals effects of environment and mating on genetic associations (2024) · cites this paper as [31]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • All phenotypes displaying statistically detectable differences in SNP heritability are known to be affected by assortative mating.

    “Since all the phenotypes displaying statistically detectable differences in SNP heritability are known to be affected by AM31”

    From Family-GWAS reveals effects of environment and mating on genetic associations (2024) · cites this paper as [31]

    The Results (Partner Correlations in the UK Biobank; page unavailable) report significant partner correlations for 118 of 133 adequately powered traits, and the Discussion says assortative mating may bias SNP-heritability estimates for many traits. The paper does not identify the phenotypes with statistically detectable differences in SNP heritability or establish that all of those phenotypes are affected by assortative mating. It also cautions that observed partner similarity can arise through mechanisms other than assortative mating. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Horwitz, T. B., Balbona, J. V., Paulich, K. N., & Keller, M. C.
Affiliations
University of Colorado Boulder (US)
Corresponding author
Horwitz, Tanya B.
ORCID
Venue
Nature Human Behaviour
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2023-08-31
Volume
7
Issue
9
Pages
1568-1583
ISSN
2397-3374 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41562-023-01672-z
PMC
PMC10967253
OpenAlex
W4386324879
Cited by
105
References
251
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 3
FWCI
4.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Human Behaviour (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute on Drug Abuse (T32 Training Grant T32DA017637)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH130448, R01 MH100141, T32 Training Grant MH016880)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Keywords
mate choice, genetic correlation, political attitudes, religious attitudes, educational attainment, substance use, personality traits, birth year, chronotype, UK Biobank, co-parents, married couples, cohabiting couples, publication bias
MeSH terms
Academic Success, Chronotype, Educational Status, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Male, Biological Specimen Banks

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