The Effectiveness of a Native Premarital Education Package on Modifying Marriage Criteria and Self-Efficacy in Mate Selection among Youth

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student of Psychology, RIHU, Qom, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran

3 almostafa uni

4 MA of Psychology, IKI, Qom, Iran

10.22034/ip.2026.514.1352

Abstract

Mate selection is a critical process that significantly impacts marital satisfaction and stability. Errors in this process are a primary cause of marital discord. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a native (Iranian-Islamic) premarital education package on modifying marriage criteria and enhancing self-efficacy in mate selection among youth. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed. The sample consisted of 34 marriage applicants (17 boys, 17 girls) aged 16-30 from Semnan province, selected via voluntary sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a 7-session, 14-hour native premarital training package. Data were collected using the Self-Efficacy in Mate Selection Questionnaire (Dibaj, 2013) and the Marriage Criteria Scale (Haratian et al., 2019). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and paired t-tests were used for data analysis. Results indicated a significant increase in self-efficacy scores and a significant improvement in marriage criteria (increased importance of first-degree criteria and decreased importance of second-degree criteria) in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A 6-month follow-up confirmed the relative stability of these effects. It is concluded that the native premarital education package is effective in enhancing youths' self-efficacy and refining their mate selection criteria, potentially contributing to more informed and stable marital choices.

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Main Subjects

Islam and Psychological Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 31 May 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 April 2026
  • Revise Date: 16 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 23 May 2026

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