Biannual Journal of Applied Counseling

Biannual Journal of Applied Counseling

Construction and Validation of the Spouse Selection Perfectionism Scale

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Yadollah Zargar 1
Abolfazl Hatami Varzaneh 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities, University of Hazrat-e Masoumeh University, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department, of Counseling, Faculty of Humanities, University of Hazrat-e Masoumeh University, Qom, Iran
10.22055/jac.2024.47817.2046
Abstract
 Marriage significantly affects individual well-being and social health. The recent decrease in the marriage rate, especially in Iran, has necessitated the need for research on the factors affecting it. Perfectionism, especially in choosing a spouse, plays an important role in shaping attitudes and decisions about marriage. In this regard, this study was conducted with the aim of building and validating a scale to measure perfectionism in the field of choosing a spouse. At first, the perfectionism scale for choosing a spouse was prepared based on a comprehensive review of the literature and identified criteria for choosing a spouse. This scale was initially created with 47 items focusing on dimensions such as love, care, families of origin, personality traits, economic status, occupation, and appearance. A total of 343 participants (in two stages, construction, 246 people and validation, 97 people) completed the scale, which was analyzed using SPSS-22 for exploratory factor analysis. KMO and Bartlett's test were performed to evaluate data adequacy. Factor analysis with varimax rotation identified two main factors: "similarity and love" and "economic status and physical appearance". The results of factor analysis showed that 29 items or questions are loaded on two separate factors: "similarity and love" (16 items) and "economic and physical status" (13 items). The "similarity and love" factor emphasizes the importance of emotional and relational compatibility, while the “appearance and economic status” factor focuses on material and physical characteristics. The scale showed high reliability, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.90 for the total scale, 0.90 for the first factor, and 0.85 for the second factor. The validity of the criterion was confirmed with a significant correlation with the scale of positive and negative perfectionism. It can be said that this scale provides valuable insights about perfectionistic tendencies affecting the choice of a spouse and can be used for further research and practical applications in understanding and dealing with perfectionism in marital contexts.
Keywords
perfectionism
spouse selection
validation
factor analysis
Subjects
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Biannual Journal of Applied Counseling
Volume 14, Issue 2
February 2025
Pages 23-34

  • Receive Date 21 August 2024
  • Revise Date 18 September 2024
  • Accept Date 02 December 2024