Mechanisms creating homogamy in depressiveness in couples: A longitudinal study from Czechia.

ABSTRACT: Couples often resemble each other in characteristics like depression, but the reasons for this homogamy (i.e., similarity) remain unclear. We investigated two potential mechanisms: preference for a self-similar partner and convergence (i.e., increasing similarity) over time. In a nationally representative sample of 2,793 Czech individuals who we surveyed three times in one year, we examined self-reports of participants', their ideal partners', and their actual partners' "pessimism and depressiveness". Participants preferred partners less depressive than themselves, yet their actual partners were more depressive than desired. Those who ended their relationships showed a greater ideal-versus-actual partner discrepancy than those who stayed together. In stable relationships, individuals adjus

SUBMITTER: Csajbok Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11914466 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature