Mate Selection,Meaning of Marriage and Positive Cognitive Constructs on Younger and Older Married Individuals

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of mate selection, meaning of marriage, meaning of life, quality of life, hope and perceived social support in being married, based on age, gender, ethnicity and educational status. The sample consisted of 632 Iranian individuals who were young or older married individuals. The participants were selected through a purposive sampling method. A demographic questionnaire and six inventories were used. Resulting data demonstrated that individuals who were young had a significantly greater overall scores than individuals who were older married in the areas of mate selection criteria, meaning of marriage, meaning of life, quality of life, hope and social support. Findings did not indicate an influence of gender on these constructs. Significant effects were found with regards to ethnicity and educational level in the meaning of marriage and hope respectively.