ABSTRACT
This study attempted to
examine the influence of mate selection and self-disclosure on marital
stability among couples in Lagos
State.
The descriptive
research design was used in the study. The questionnaire was used to assess the
opinions of the selected respondents with the collection of relevant data from
them, while the sampling technique was used to select the sample size of the
study.
A total of 120 (One
hundred and twenty) respondents were selected by the application of the
stratified sampling technique. Also, a total of four (4) null hypotheses were
stated and tested with the application of independent t-test statistical tool
at 0.05 level of significance.
At the end of the
tests, it was found that a significant relationship between mate selection and
couples marital stability exist; and that a significant relationship exists
between self-disclosure and marital stability among couples. Furthermore, the
findings showed that no significant gender difference exists in self-disclosure
among couples, and it was finally found that there is no significant difference
in marital stability between couples who disclosed themselves and those who did
not. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Two null
hypotheses were accepted and two were rejected.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
Chapter One 1
1.0
Introduction 1
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 5
1.3 Purpose of the Study 6
1.4 Research Questions 7
1.5 Research Hypotheses 7
1.6 Significance of the Study 8
1.7 Scope of the Study 9
Chapter
Two: Literature Review 10
2.0 Introduction 10
2.1 Concept of Marriage 11
2.2 Rules and Regulations in Marriage 14
2.3 Types of Marriage 16
2.4 Concept of Self-disclosure 21
2.5 Factors within the Individual Mate
Selection 21
2.6 Factors in the Relationship 28
2.7 Socio-cultural and Historical Factors in
Mate Selection 29
2.8 Evolutionary Factors in Mate Selection 33
2.9 Gender Differences in Mate Selection 35
2.10 Conclusions
38
Chapter
Three: Methodology 40
3.0 Introduction 40
3.1 Research
Design 40
3.2 Population of
the study 40
3.3 Sample Size
and Sampling Technique 40
3.4 Research
Instrument 41
3.5 Validity of
Instrument 41
3.6 Reliability of Instrument 41
3.7 Procedure for Data Collection 42
3.8 Procedure for Data Analysis 42
Chapter
Four: Data Analysis and Results 43
1.1
Introduction 43
1.2
Data Analysis 43
Chapter
Five: Discussions, Conclusions and Recommendations 47
1.1
Introduction 47
1.2
Discussion of the Findings 47
1.3
Conclusion: Summary and Recommendations 51
References 55
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
The
choice of a mate is a problem that human beings share with most other animals,
because successful reproduction is central to natural selection. Peahens choose
among most attractive peacocks, female elephant seals and even promiscuous
chimpanzees exercise choice about their chimps with which they will be
promiscuous (Broude, 1994). In every human society in the world, methods have
been evolved for people to pair up and eventually get married in order to
establish their own families. For most of the societies, this process was
largely controlled by parents and kins in early days. Parents usually had
direct control through strong community and kinship networks that exerted
pressure on youths to conform to traditional norms. Only few societies, if
there is any, allow young people to choose partners without the approval of
parents and/or other relatives. It is when people remain in their communities
or places of birth, that the bond of strong kin, networks is crucial in mate
selection (Ekiran, 1996). Although mate selection process was once controlled
by parents, it has now become much a matter of personal choice by the young
lovers.
Blossfed (1994),
identified some methods of mate selection among individuals which include:
a. Arranged method of mate selection.
b. Self-selection method.
c. Mate selection by friends.
d. Mate selection through others.
According to Blossfed,
parents choose spouses. Bankole (1991) observed that the general practice is
for a father to look for a girl for his son to marry. the preliminary steps
usually begin around puberty. According to Fadipe (1990) the usual age for girl’s
betrothal start from ten years. Sometimes girls are said to have been marked
out from childhood as intended wife for a particular young man with or without
her knowledge. This however, may begin as a kind of joke between the two
families involved, but with time the intention becomes more serious and often
times, results to marriage. According to
Fadipe (1990), this method of mate selection is true of the Yoruba people of
the South-West Nigeria, and other ethnic groups in the nation during the early
days.
As Adesomoju (2000)
puts it, when an individual chooses his or her marital partner, this could be
regarded as the self-selection method. This method was very uncommon in the
early days, although it seldomly happened. Self-choice is the most prevailing
method today. This is because since young people in search of higher education
and better employment opportunities leave the rural areas for the urban
centres, they are largely out of the control of their parents and as such, they
choose marital partners by themselves. The factors at work can be summed up as:
a change in economy, the decline of rural areas, the rapid growth of some
occupations and the decline of others, the lure of the cities, the new
opportunities far from home, the importance of education, and the relative
emancipation of women, all of which led young men and women to seek more
independence from their parents. Self-selection method is more pronounced among
remarried couples than first marriage couples.
In his study, Adeleke
(2001) observed that friends can select spouses for their friends which usually
leads to marriage. According to him, this method of mate selection is common
either now or in the early days. This method of mate selection is a feature of
urban life, and it is carried out by a friend who wants to matchmake his/her
friend with another individual or friend. It is carried out through
introduction of man to a woman or vice-versa by a friend. This is common among
colleagues at the work places or business associates. This is particularly true
of people who have gone through the bitter experience and stress of
disappointment. Mates can be selected through others such as the pastors,
marriage counsellors and or seminar leaders or family.
As Sidney (1991) puts it, self—disclosure as a
phenomenon was first investigated by Jourard (1971). The process was originally
defined as telling others about the self. Since then, an extensive amount of
information about disclosure has been produced, leading to significant shifts
in the way we think about the phenomenon – self-disclosure. One change has been
to consider disclosure as a process of revealing and concealing private
information. Making this change, raises many questions about how people decide
to disclose or remain private and helps us better understand the process within
romantic relationships, marriage, and families (Burgron, 1982, Holtgraves,
1990; Petronio, 1991, 2000).
According to Cutrona
(1996), many people disclose themselves to their mates before marriage, this
disclosure has in some instances caused them their marriage. For example, when
a mate either man or woman discloses that he/she has a terminal disease like
HIV/AIDS, the attitude of the other partner in any case changes, in most cases,
negatively. People do not want their mates to be infested with such illness as
HIV/AIDS. Also, a case where a mate has married before and had children before
the current marriage, if the previous marital activity was disclosed, there
would be attitudinal change or reaction which may not augur well with the
relationship.
1.2
Statement
of the Problem
There are many problems
surrounding mate selection and self-disclosure among couples in the
contemporary societies. Marriages have hit the rock these days due to wrong
mate selections. For instance, couples have divorced because their spouses lack
compatibility with them among other factors which they discovered in the lives
of their partners. This is because human attitude is unpredictable and people,
especially spouses have been disappointed due to negative attitude of their
partners. And this has led to separation or divorce.
Couples have course to
divorce due to sudden knowledge of their spouses’ ugly past. For instance,
marriages have been broken due to knowledge of one’s spouse’s terminal sickness
or history of family illness and other bad incidences that run in a particular
family of one’s spouse.
For the above reasons,
the researcher attempted to investigate the influence of mate selection and
self-disclosure on marital stability among couples.
1.3
Purpose
of the Study
The main purpose of the study
is to investigate the influence of mate selection and self-disclosure on
marital stability among couples.
The specific
objectives of the study include:
(1)
To examine whether mate selection has
relationship with marital stability among couples.
(2)
To investigate whether self-disclosure affects
marital stability among couples.
(3)
To assess the marital stability of couples who
disclosed their secrets and those who did not.
(4)
To evaluate the marital stability of couples
as a result of mate selection process.
(5)
To find out whether there is gender difference
in self-disclosure among couples.
1.4
Research
Questions
The following research
questions were raised in this study.
(1)
To what extent will mate selection influence
marital stability among couples?
(2)
Will self-disclosure affect marital stability
among couples?
(3)
Will the marital stability of couples be
affected by their self-disclosure?
(4)
Will there be gender difference in
self-disclosure among couples?
1.5
Research
Hypotheses
The following research
hypotheses were formulated to guide the conduct of the study.
(1)
There will be no significant relationship
between mate selection and couples marital stability.
(2)
There will be no significant relationship
between self-disclosure and marital stability among couples.
(3)
There will be no significant gender difference
in self-disclosure among couples.
(4)
There will be no significant difference in
marital stability between couples who disclosed themselves to their partners
and those who did not.
1.6
Significance
of the Study
This study will be beneficial
to the following individuals:
(1)
Couples would benefit from the findings and
recommendations of this study. This study will enable couples to understand
more facts concerning how to select their mates and the importance of disclosing
themselves to their partners before or after marriage.
(2)
It will also enable couples to know that self
disclosure is one of the important and necessary factors in mate selection and
marital stability among couples.
(3)
This study will assist couples to select their
mates based on factors such as love, attractions, or compatibility etc.
(4)
This study will also be beneficial to the
society at large in that, it will enable people, especially men and women in
marriageable ages to identify whom to select in their marriage and to disclose
themselves truthfully to their partners.
(5)
The study will also help new researchers and
students to make references with this study.
1.7
Scope
of the Study
The study covers couples in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
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