Comparison of Attitude and Tendency Toward Pre-Marital Relationship, Irrational Beliefs, and Self-Inhibition of Male and Female Students

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare attitudes and tendencies towards premarital relationships and irrational beliefs with self-restraint in male and female students. Methods: The research method was descriptive causal-comparative. The statistical population consisted of all students of Shahid Beheshti University in 2015-2016, from which 365 people (170 boys and 195 girls) were selected as a sample by stratified random sampling method. Tools for data collection included the following questionnaires: Irrational Beliefs (Jones, 1980), Premarital Relationship (Cordlow, 2001), and the Self-Determent Questionnaire (Weinberger and Schwartz, 1990). Results: Data analysis by independent t-test showed that there is a significant difference between attitudes and tendencies towards premarital relationship, irrational beliefs and self-restraint in male and female students (P<0.01). Conclusion: The results showed that gender is a factor influencing attitudes and tendencies towards premarital relationships, irrational beliefs and self-restraint. As such, males had greater attitudes and tendencies toward premarital relationships, and lower irrational and slef-restrait, compared with female students.