Personality Traits and Living Apart Together (LAT)

Maja Djundeva, University of Groningen

Next to cohabitation and same sex unions, LAT (Living Together Apart) unions have been identified in the academic literature not only as a transitional stage to marriage, but as a distinct partnering choice. This study examines the relationship between personality traits and the likelihood of being into a LAT union using a large Dutch dataset Life Lines (n = 57,956). Personality traits seem to be related both to preferences and to capabilities, and we find that personality traits (conscientiousness and extraversion) to be related to respondents being into a LAT union in comparison marriage or registered partnership. This relationship holds true for men and women, but it most salient for younger female cohorts.