Sassler, S., & Joyner, K. (2011). Social exchange and the progression of sexual relationships in emerging adulthood. Social Forces, 90(1), 223-245. doi:10.1093/sf/90.1.223

The authors review the studies that examined matching on race and other characteristics in cohabitation and marriage. Those studies generally did not consider sexual and romantic relationships.

In the study reported in this article, the authors looked at the tempo of key transitions in the recent relationships of young adults aged 18 to 24. They examined the relationship between racial mix and the timing of sex, cohabitation, and marriage. They found evidence that relationships between white men and minority women progressed faster from romance to sexual involvement and then to cohabitation than relationships in other racial combinations. Lessons for social exchange perspectives on mate selection. Their findings had important implications for social exchange perspectives on mate selection.