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Title: Racial Preferences in Mate Selection: Evidence from a Speed Dating Experiment

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2004

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Abstract: We utilize an experimental Speed Dating service to examine racialpreferences in mate selection. Our data allow for the direct observation ofindividual decisions of randomly paired individuals; we may thereforedirectly infer racial preferences, which was not possible in prior studies.We observe stronger same race preferences for blacks and Asians than forHispanics and whites, with insignificant overall level of racial preferencesfor female Hispanics and males of all races. Females exhibit strongerracial preferences than males. Differences in self-reported shared interestslargely mediate the observed racial preferences. Collectively, our resultsimply strong but very heterogeneous racial preferences. Finally, wecompare our experimental results with the levels of marital segregation inthe United States.

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Authors: Fisman, Raymond; Kamenica, Emir; Iyengar, Sheena; Simonson, Itamar

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Publication Number: 1871

Institution: Stanford Graduate School of Business

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage

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