نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 استادیار، گروه خانواده، پژوهشگاه حوزه و دانشگاه، قم، ایران
2 کارشناسی ارشد روانشناسی اسلامی مؤسسه اخلاق و تربیت، قم، ایران
3 دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد روانشناسی عمومی، دانشکده هدی، قم، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژه‌ها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: The process of spouse selection is a highly significant and often challenging stage in the life of every unmarried adult. This decision can be considered one of the most important choices in a person’s life, influencing their future and overall well-being. Among the key factors that shape this delicate and complex process are individuals’ beliefs and expectations regarding how a spouse should be chosen. Certain beliefs and attitudes may lead to frustration and dissatisfaction in the process of spouse selection (Crosby, 1985). Restrictive beliefs about choosing a spouse fall into this category, as they foster maladaptive tendencies and behaviors and adversely affect not only the cognitive but also the motivational and behavioral domains of spouse selection (Hosseinkhani, 2020).
If individuals hold unrealistic beliefs about spouse selection, they may experience indecisiveness and failure in this crucial process (Bagarozzi & Rann, 1981). A review of previous research and literature on marriage and mate selection reveals that, to date, no culturally adapted Iranian–Islamic scale has been developed to assess irrational and restrictive beliefs regarding spouse selection. Considering the importance and cultural sensitivity of these beliefs in the marriage process, the present study aimed to design, develop, and examine the psychometric properties of a culturally adapted scale for irrational beliefs about marriage.
Methods: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of unmarried individuals aged 17 and above with access to virtual platforms. The sample comprised 339 participants (91 men and 248 women) recruited through convenience sampling. Participants’ ages ranged from 17 to 40 years, with a mean age of 27.06 and a standard deviation of 6.7.
Two instruments were used:
Preliminary Form of the Irrational Beliefs about Marriage Scale: This form was initially developed by revising the items of the Restrictive Beliefs in Mate Selection Scale by Cobb, Larson, and Watson (2003). The item pool was further enriched based on Islamic studies and insights gained from counseling clients and participants in premarital education programs, leading to the final version.
Restrictive Beliefs in Mate Selection Scale: Originally developed by Larson (1992) in three stages based on the Love and Mate Selection Scale.
The preliminary form of the new scale included 97 items alongside the Restrictive Beliefs in Mate Selection Scale. Both were distributed to participants via online platforms and social media. A total of 339 completed questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 26, employing statistical techniques such as correlation analysis, split-half reliability, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
Results: Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR), yielding values of 0.94 (acceptable ≥ 0.79) and 0.83 (acceptable ≥ 0.62), respectively, indicating strong content validity. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, which was 0.89 for the total scale, 0.89 for men, and 0.88 for women. Split-half reliability testing showed alpha coefficients of 0.76 for the first half and 0.82 for the second half, with Spearman–Brown and Guttman coefficients of 0.85 and an inter-half correlation of 0.75.
EFA using Principal Components Analysis with Varimax rotation confirmed the factor structure of the scale. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was 0.72, indicating the suitability of the data for factor analysis. Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (χ² = 11,669.665, df = 4,656, p < 0.01), confirming sufficient inter-item correlations. Factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 were retained, supported by the scree plot.
Concurrent criterion validity was examined by correlating the new scale with the Restrictive Beliefs in Mate Selection Scale (Cobb et al., 2003). The total scores of the two scales were strongly correlated, whereas correlations between subscales (except for the “spiritual error” subscale) ranged from weak to moderate, indicating that the factors of the new scale were relatively independent.
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings support the validity and reliability of the newly developed scale. The final version of the scale comprises 13 factors—Emotional Detachment, Pessimism, Egocentric Experience, Fatalism, Love as Magic, Spiritual Error, Excessive Optimism, Ineffective Problem-Solving, Rigidity, Exclusive Love, Perfectionism, Dysfunctional Signs, and Homogamy—across 90 items.
This scale can serve as a valuable tool for premarital educators and counselors in assessing irrational beliefs about marriage among clients.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
کلیدواژه‌ها [English]
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