Future Study of Psychological Factors Affecting Youth Marriage in 2040: An Iranian Development Perspective

This study explores the psychological factors affecting youth marriage from the perspective of the development of Iran in 2040. The present research, which was conducted using the Delphi method, is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of data collection. The statistical population included all experts in the field of marriage issues. The mentioned specialists have been experts in marriage counseling, marriage psychology, divorce counseling, and marriage sociology. Based on theoretical and practical considerations, 20 experienced marriage experts were identified and interviewed in different cities of Iran. After 20 interviews, theoretical saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews, a researcher-made scale based on expert opinions, and a questionnaire of basic uncertainties were used to collect data. Researchers have developed all three tools, whose validity and reliability were assessed and confirmed in the present study. The collected data were described using descriptive statistics, including frequency, central indices, and dispersion indices. In addition, the Friedman ranking test was used to examine the research questions. Based on the results and in terms of importance, the individual-psychological components affecting future youth marriage were as follows: mutual understanding, couple attachment style, cognitive flexibility, parenting style, intellectual maturity, married life knowledge, and self-awareness. In general, the findings of the present study can help youth marriage-related institutions in designing future plans.