The current research tested the evidence for couple similarity on
“stimulus” characteristics (Murstein, 1970) aswell as the role of such
similarities in marital satisfaction. With regard to evidence for similarity,
our results provided strong support for Hypothesis 1. The similarity
correlations on all nine stimulus characteristics were
statistically significant, positive, strong, and comparable in magnitude
to the correlations observed on spirituality and growth orientation.
Furthermore, these strong similarities were unrelated to
marriage length, suggesting that these similarities were likely due
to initial choice rather than convergence over time. This is consistent
with previous findings (e.g., Luo & Klohnen, 2005). In summary, our
similarity results suggest that (1) similarity appears to be a primary
principle of partner selection; (2) individuals are likely to rely on
similarity on stimulus characteristics to screen potential partners in
initial encounters. These findings provided strong support for
Murstein's (1970) stimulus–value–role theory.