Mate selection criteria towards marital satisfaction among Iranian postgraduate students in Malaysia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a model of mate selection criteria towards marital satisfaction among Iranian postgraduate students in Malaysia. It identifies mate selection criteria for achieving marital satisfaction, gender moderation effect in the influence of mate selection criteria on marital satisfaction and explores the importance of values and roles criteria of mate selection towards marital satisfaction. In addition, a hierarchical guideline for mate selection criteria is developed to achieve marital satisfaction. Using exploratory mixed-method approach, this research was conducted in preliminary study and main study. For the preliminary study, 18 semi-structured interviews were carried out and analysed using directed content analysis. For the main study, through stratified random sampling, 250 married Iranian postgraduate students were selected from five universities in Malaysia and asked to complete a researcher developed questionnaire. Findings from Partial Least Squares (PLS) confirmed that mate selection consisted of values criteria and roles criteria. According to the findings, marital satisfaction could be predicted through both values and roles criteria by approximately 65%. Values and roles significantly predicted marital satisfaction variance by 13=0.52, t=12.09, p< 0.001 and by 13=0.38, t=8.95, p< 0.001, respectively. Moreover, it was found that the influence of mate selection criteria on marital satisfaction was not moderated by gender (values criteria: 13ma1e=OA8, 13female=0.53, t=OA99, p> 0.05; roles criteria: 13ma1e=OA02, 13female=OA08, t=0.073, p> 0.05). Accordingly, marital satisfaction was largely influenced by both values criteria (0.38) and roles criteria (0.36) and not any third variable. Finally, using Rasch measurement model, the mate selection criteria guideline was developed hierarchically in three priority levels: basic, moderate, and high. The basic priority level of the guideline included the following values: beauty, economic, commitment and responsibility, education, and life style and leisure time. The moderate priority level included sexual desire and love expression, religious, social, and health value. The high priority level included parental role, household role, spouse's family value, spousal role, independence value, employment role, and security value. Hierarchically, the mate selection criteria guideline showed that values criteria were placed more in the basic and moderate priority level, while roles criteria were placed in high priority level. The valid mate selection criteria guideline developed in this study is designed to help students who are going to get married and counselling centres. The results help counsellors raise awareness of couples who are considering each other for marriage. In addition, this research can contribute to the reduction of the rate of divorce that may occur due to the lack of certain and clear criteria for mate selection.