A Structural Model of Attitudes Toward Marriage Based on Metacognitive Beliefs and Perceived Social Support: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Ego Strength
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Objective: This study aimed to develop a structural model to predict attitudes toward marriage based on metacognitive beliefs and perceived social support, with the mediating roles of emotion regulation and ego strength.
Methods and Materials: The research employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). A sample of 320 unmarried female undergraduate students from Shahid Beheshti University was selected through convenience sampling. Participants completed validated questionnaires measuring metacognitive beliefs, perceived social support, ego strength, emotion regulation, and attitudes toward marriage. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 22 and AMOS 23.
Findings: Results revealed that both metacognitive beliefs and social support had significant direct effects on attitudes toward marriage (p<0.001). Moreover, ego strength and emotion regulation significantly mediated these relationships, indicating that higher levels of psychological flexibility and emotional control were associated with more positive marital attitudes. The overall model demonstrated acceptable fit indices (e.g., RMSEA = 0.047, CFI = 0.98), supporting its theoretical adequacy.
Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of psychological and emotional variables—particularly metacognitive regulation and perceived support—in shaping marital attitudes among young women. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, single-gender sample, and reliance on self-report measures. Future research should expand to more diverse populations and use longitudinal designs to strengthen causal inferences.
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