Studies show that African Americans may experience less monogamy in dating relationships than the majority population. Dating as a young adult has serious consequences for the quality of future romantic relationship formation and is of importance to study. The shortage of men in the Black community has long been cited as a probable cause of the low marriage rates in the Black community, but few studies have linked sex ratio with African American mens dating status and quality. This study employs multinomial logit and ordinary least squares multiple regressions to examine how individual romantic capital influences Black mens dating status and quality and how this relationship is moderated by sex ratio composition. Social exchange, identity, and social bond theories are the theoretical framework. Data from the 2006 US Census and the Family and Community Health Study is used. Results show mixed support for the various theories, and future research directions are suggested.
