Discovery of Mate Selection Attitudes of Single Girls: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: Mate selection and having a happy and successful marriage is one of the most important issues in the lives of many. One of the issues that affects the success rate of mate selection is the attitude toward this choice. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of mate selection of single Iranian girls. Methods: This study was carried out with qualitative method, using thematic analysis approach. In this study, the researchers used purposive sampling method to identify and interview fifteen 18 to 30 year-old girls in Tehran. All interviews were recorded and then hand-written line by line, and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: Analysis of the data obtained from the interviews resulted in identifying two main categories of effective selection attitudes with subcategories (rationality and logic-realism, realism, belief in self-knowledge, belief in knowing the other, considering the cognitive relationship as necessary, belief in balancing, belief in mutual consultation and counseling for making a choice) and ineffective selective attitudes with subcategories (idealistic, considering making a choice or marriage as restrictive, perceiving as ineffective and unnecessary mutual consultation in making a choice, and seeing choice and marriage as a bridge to the absolute emancipation from suffering) in relation to the attitudes of girls near making a marital selection. Conclusions: The findings of this study, through identifying the effective and ineffective attitudes of girls toward mate selection provided the basis for developing educational and corrective programs to strengthen positive attitudes in this group of people, and recognizing ineffective attitudes provided the means to eliminate these attitudes in order to make a more successful selection.