IAIN MURRAY ON MARRIAGE STUDIES. The obvious rejoinder to the study showing that marriage boosts single mothers’ income is that it looks at a self-selecting group: The guys who are willing to marry have at least one sharply different personality trait from the guys who balk. They’re probably more reliable, or more interested in family life, or something. You’re comparing apples and oranges!

There are two perhaps less-obvious responses, both of which ring true in my experience: a) The guys aren’t the only ones making this decision. If women demand more of the men they love, those men are more likely to rise to the occasion. Women who don’t push for a ring may never learn whether their children’s fathers had those marriageable personality traits–they may never even find out whether they were sleeping with an apple or an orange. (Um, forgive the Santorum-meets-Surrealism imagery there.)

b) A related point: People are not trapped in little boxes labeled “marriage material” and “triflin’.” Comparing men who marry to men who don’t isn’t comparing apples and oranges, since no orange is ever gonna turn into an apple. If marriage boosts income, and marriageability is based on various personality traits (like, say, reliability), then maybe it would behoove you to develop those traits or seek them out in the people you date, no? In other words, select yourself into the married group.

Anyway, Murray is a careful stats-chopper, so I’m glad to see his stamp of approval on these studies. Very good news.