Interestingly, many of the variables that are useful in explaining women's perceptions of the marriage decision fail to predict males' responses. As educational attainment rises, so does the amount of control women exercise in making the marriage decision. Both higher education and residence in an urban community prior to marriage are therefore thought to play primary roles in decreasing the relative inputs of parents compared to children in making the final marriage decision. As the age at marriage increases, parental control should diminish. Individuals with more educated parents will have had more input into decisions affecting their own marriages than will those with less educated parents. Frequencies of male and female responses for each level of input are also quite similar in categories two through four, in which the couple shares control over the marriage decision to varying degrees with other family members.