Patterns of partner choice can illuminate the relationship between coh
abitation and marriage. If cohabitations are ''informal marriages, ''
partner choice in cohabitations should resemble partner choice in marr
iages. However, if cohabitation is a distinct relationship, a ''looser
bond, '' then partner choice in cohabitations should give more emphas
is to short-term and achieved characteristics (such as education) and
less emphasis to long-term and ascribed characteristics (such as age,
religion, and race). Data from the National Survey of Families and Hou
seholds are used to examine partner choice in both cohabitations and m
arriages. The results support the ''looser bond'' view of cohabitation
as a distinct type of relationship. Compared to recently married pers
ons, cohabitors show both a greater propensity to choose a partner wit
h the same education and a lesser propensity to choose a partner with
the same age or religion.