Mate selection and its criteria: A study among married men and women in Rasht City

The present study aims to examine the differentials and similarities in mate selection criteria among married men and women. The study is based on a survey conducted in Rasht City. It includes a sample of 400 married males and females who were selected on the basis of the method of multistage systematic cluster sampling. The results indicate that physical criteria are more important for men, whereas women give greater importance to socio-economic criteria. However, there are not significant differences between men and women in emotional and personality criteria. Further, factor analysis of mate selection criteria shows that they can be categorized into two major groups: internal and external criteria. While these categories for men accord with the theories and literature, they do not apply to women. Males in Iran still play an active role in the process of mate selection, whereas females hold a passive role that places them to the situation of being selected by males. This also leads to a lower participation of females in the mate selection process. Accordingly, although males and females share the same internal criteria, they differ in terms of external criteria in the mate selection process.