Spouse Selection in Arranged Marriages: An Analysis of Time Invariant and Time Variant Decision Rules

19 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2003

See all articles by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

Rochester Institute of Technology

Hamid Beladi

University of Texas at San Antonio - College of Business - Department of Economics

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Abstract

Even though arranged marriages have been around for quite a while, the economics literature has paid scant attention to the nature of decision making in such marriages. Consequently, very little is known about the effects of alternate decision rules on the spouse selection question in arranged marriages. Given this state of affairs, our paper has three objectives. First, we construct a simple model of decision making in arranged marriages. Second, we use this model to analyze the expected utility of a marrying agent when this agent uses, respectively, time invariant and time variant decision rules. Finally, we compare and contrast the properties of time invariant and time variant decision rules and we discuss the magnitude of the premium arising from the maintenance of temporal flexibility in decision making.

Keywords: Arranged Marriage, Decision Making, Time Invariant, Time Variant, Uncertainty

JEL Classification: J12, D81

Suggested Citation

Batabyal, Amitrajeet A. and Beladi, Hamid, Spouse Selection in Arranged Marriages: An Analysis of Time Invariant and Time Variant Decision Rules. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=468020 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.468020

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal (Contact Author)

Rochester Institute of Technology ( email )

Department of Economics, RIT
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Hamid Beladi

University of Texas at San Antonio - College of Business - Department of Economics ( email )

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San Antonio, TX 78249
United States
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