We develop a method which assumes that marital preferences are characterized either by the scalar-valued measure proposed by Liu and Lu, or by the matrix-valued generalized Liu–Lu measure. The new method transforms an observed contingency table into a counterfactual table while preserving its (generalized) Liu–Lu value. After exploring some analytical properties of the new method, we illustrate its application by decomposing changes in the prevalence of homogamy in the US between 1980 and 2010. We perform this decomposition with two alternative transformation methods as well where both methods capture preferences differently from Liu and Lu. Finally, we use survey evidence to support our claim that out of the three considered methods, the new transformation method is the most suitable for identifying the role of marital preferences at shaping marriage patterns. These data are also in favor of measuring assortativity in preferences à la Liu and Lu.

我们开发了一种方法，假设婚姻偏好的特征是 Liu 和 Lu 提出的标量值度量，或者矩阵值广义 Liu-Lu 度量。新方法将观察到的列联表转换为反事实表，同时保留其（广义的）Liu-Lu 值。在探索了新方法的一些分析特性之后，我们通过分解 1980 年至 2010 年间美国同性婚姻盛行的变化来说明其应用。我们使用两种替代转换方法进行这种分解，这两种方法都不同于 Liu 和 Liu 和鲁。最后，我们使用调查证据来支持我们的主张，即在所考虑的三种方法中，新的转换方法最适合识别婚姻偏好在塑造婚姻模式中的作用。这些数据也有利于衡量偏好的分类性，如刘和陆。