The Process of Mate Selection and the Problem of Cohabiting Couple 50 Adjustment ·for Marriage Contract in the Case of Debre Markos Town
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Date
2010-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This paper examines the process of mate selection and the problem of cohabiting
couple's adjustment for marriage contract in case of Debre Markos town. Data were
gathered by using questionnaire and interview. The items were scales of mate
selection, reason for cohabitation and cohabiting couple's adjustment problem of
marnage contract and the interview supplement the questions raised in the
questionnaire.
Hundred eight (55 male and 53 female) participani:s were selected. Among the total
respondents (91%) of the respondents were orthodox Christians and the majority of
the participants were grown up in a middle class family which accounts (72%).
Comparison of mean difference, linear regression and t-test were computed to analyze
the data. The major criteria to choose a potential mate in Debre Markos were
economic capacity (M=23.3,sd=.70), and persona! characteristics (22.B,sd=.336). There
is no significant difference between men and women in mate selection criteria (t (98)
= 1.89, P>0.05. At the same time these five criteria together do have very high predictive
power that accounts R2 = .974. That means the fiw criteria of mate selection together
can predict 97.4% of mate selection.
The result on reasons for cohabitation revealed that people cohabit primarily for
convenience purpose (M= 3.02, sd = .73). Racial background (M=3.24, sd= .58),
unrealistic concept of expenditure (M=3.lB, sd=4.l5) and fear of birth before marriage
(M=3.lB, sd=4.l5) were the major adjustment problems of cohabiting couples for
maniage contract.
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problem of cohabiting couple's adjustmen