PHYSICAL STATURE AND INTELLIGENCE AS PREDICTORS OF THE TIMING OF BABY BOOMERS’ VERY FIRST DATES

Abstract

The paper analyses to what extent the timing of the very first date of American adolescents in the 1960s correlated with their physical stature and cognitive ability. Using an event history approach, it was found that intelligence and a weight slightly above the average raised the odds of arranging a first rendezvous, whereas the effect of height was gender-specific. Tallness improved chances among boys, whereas girls whose height was slightly below the average had the highest odds. This pattern was mirrored by the adolescents’ evaluation of their own physical stature. The fact that the estimated associations are remarkably similar to those observed in the literature on fertility and wages suggests that these attributes are selection criteria in situations of social interaction already among adolescents.