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Another look into the effect of premarital cohabitation on duration of marriage: an approach based on matching

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  • Stefano Mazzuco

Abstract

Summary. The paper proposes an alternative approach to studying the effect of premarital cohabitation on subsequent duration of marriage on the basis of a strong ignorability assumption. The approach is called propensity score matching and consists of computing survival functions conditional on a function of observed variables (the propensity score), thus eliminating any selection that is derived from these variables. In this way, it is possible to identify a time varying effect of cohabitation without making any assumption either regarding its shape or the functional form of covariate effects. The output of the matching method is the difference between the survival functions of treated and untreated individuals at each time point. Results show that the cohabitation effect on duration of marriage is indeed time varying, being close to zero for the first 2–3 years and rising considerably in the following years.

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  • Stefano Mazzuco, 2009. "Another look into the effect of premarital cohabitation on duration of marriage: an approach based on matching," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 172(1), pages 255-273, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jorssa:v:172:y:2009:i:1:p:255-273
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-985X.2008.00568.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Gary S. Becker, 1981. "A Treatise on the Family," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck81-1.
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    10. Fiona Steele & Constantinos Kallis & Heather Joshi, 2006. "The formation and outcomes of cohabiting and marital partnerships in early adulthood: the role of previous partnership experience," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 169(4), pages 757-779, October.
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    13. repec:fth:prinin:455 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Wolfgang Frimmel & Martin Halla & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer, 2013. "Assortative mating and divorce: evidence from Austrian register data," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 176(4), pages 907-929, October.

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