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RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics ISSN 2313-1683 (Print); issn 2313-1705 (Online)
2023 Vol.20 N0.2 229-243
Вестник РУДН. Серия: Психология и педагогика http://journals.rudn.ru/psychology-pedagogics
DOI: 10.22363/2313-1683-2023-20-2-229-243 EDN: WFIHOU UDC 316.6
Research article
Personality Features That Contribute to Transition of Young People from Unregistered Marriage to Marital Relations
Vladimir P. Poznyakov , Sergey E. Poddubny , Yuliya M. Panfilova
Abstract. The study examined the role of personality traits and value orientations of young people (both men and women) as factors contributing to the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations. The differences in the severity of personality traits and the importance of individual values among the partners living in unregistered and registered marriages were revealed. The sample of the study included two groups of respondents aged 18 to 35: partners in an unregistered marriage (cohabitation) - 144 persons (men and women 50% each) and partners in a registered marriage - 120 persons (men - 42.5%, women - 57.5%). The research methods and tools included: S.H. Schwartz's Values Questionnaire (Personality Profile Section), 50-point form of L. Goldberg's Five-Factor Personality Inventory and a scale for assessing the intention to marry and commitment to have and raise children. The results of both questionnaires were processed using the Multipsychometer hardware-software diagnostic complex, which converted the initial test scores into a 10-point equal-interval Sten scale. The presence and nature of the statistical influence was established using multiple linear regression analysis, statistical differences were identified using Student's t-test and Mann - Whitney t/-test. According to the results of the study, the personality trait "agreeableness" was the leading factor in the commitment to have and raise children as well as in the readiness to register a marriage with a partner. The significant differences in the severity of personality traits and the significance of individual values in the partners who were in a registered and unregistered marriage were identified statistically. It was found that the respondents in a registered marriage, compared with their counterparts in an unregistered marriage, had significantly more prominent personality traits such as "agreeableness" and "emotional stability" and, for them, the values "universalism", "benevolence" and "self-direction" were more important. The obtained results can be used to scientifically substantiate practical recommendations for managers and specialists involved in the support and development of the family institution in modern Russian society, as well as in the practice of individual and family counseling.
Key words: unregistered marriage, marital relations, personality factors, value orientations, personality traits
Acknowledgements and Funding. The study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant No. 22-28-00356.
© Poznyakov V.P., Poddubny S.E., Panfilova Yu.M., 2023
Iga ffi® I work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License какхш https://creativecommons.Org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode
Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 13 Yaroslavskaya St, bldg 1, Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation E pozn_v@mail.ru
Introduction
Relevance of the study and problem statement. Researchers note regular and constant changes in the structure of the modern family, its structure and membership, group processes and norms, which are the result of sociocultural changes (Bim-Bad, Gavrov, 2010; Galkina, Kadnichanskaya, 2015; Emelyanova, Schmidt, 2021; Kabanova, 2021; Koltsova, Levkovich, 2018; Makhnach, 2016; Nagornova, 2019; Makhnach, Zuev, 2015; Tikhomirov, 2015, etc.). One of the manifestations of these changes is the emergence and wide spread of new forms of marital relations, including an increase in the number of unregistered marriages (i.e., cohabitation relations). Because of these changes, researchers face new scientific problems caused by the insufficient knowledge of partner relations in these unions (Lidovskaya, 2009; Poznyakov, Panfilova, 2017; Rean, Andreeva, 2009; Shukshina, Mizonova, 2018, etc.). To define this type of unofficial partner relations, various terms are used, including in the scientific literature: 'unregistered marriage', 'civil marriage', 'cohabitation', etc. (Bagdanova, Shchukina, 2003; Voevodina, 2009; Kovaleva, 2009; Papa, 2012; Stasyuk, 2009, and others). However, in Russian legislation, only one form of marital relations is recognized as a marriage union, namely an officially registered marriage.
In modern scientific literature there is no single point of view on the definition of the concept of family. There is no such definition in the regulatory documents. However, most experts refer to the attributive features of the family: (1) cohabitation of a man and a woman, (2) joint housekeeping, and (3) child-parent and kinship relations between family members. In Russian legislation, marital relations are defined as involving the registration of marriage with the intention of having and raising children.1 Relations in an unregistered marriage (or cohabitation) do not legally belong to such and are considered by us as a stage that precedes marital relations, or as a form of close relations between partners, an alternative to marital relations.
According to regularly conducted sociological studies, unregistered marital relations quite often precede legal marriage, which is formalized in the civil registration office. Moreover, foreign researchers note that the majority of couples who officially register their marriage first lived for some time in an unregistered marriage. For example, in Germany, the vast majority of couples (almost 90%) first live in an unregistered marriage for some time, and only then formalize their relations (Stasyuk, 2009).
In Russia, according to 2002 data, approximately 9.8% of married couples (3.3 million couples) lived in informal unions. In 2010, this figure increased to 13% of all the alliances (4.4 million couples) (Saralieva et al., 2015) and, in 2015, according to the micro-census results, 12.5% of the couples were not officially registered.2 Among the European population, the corresponding figure was approximately 15%, and the average birth rate of extramarital children in European
1 Family Code of the Russian Federation of December 29, 1995 No. 223-FZ (as amended on 03.08.2018). Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation. January 1, 1996. No. 1. Art. 16.
2 Federal State Statistics Service. (2015). Population Microcensus 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from http://gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/population/demo/micro-perepis/finish/micro-perepis.html
countries increased from 17.7% in 1993 to 41.9% in 2020.3 The above statistics indicate the widespread prevalence of informal 'marital' relations in modern society. In this regard, there is a reasonable interest in the study of the socio-psychological aspects of relations in unregistered cohabitation.
Among the main problems faced by young people living in an unregistered marriage, researchers indicate the following: low satisfaction with relations and a high risk of breaking down them, especially in the case of the birth of children in such a union (Treter et al., 2021), uncertain goals in relations (Willoughby et al., 2012), and risks of re-creativity and depopulation (Tikhomirov, 2015).
At the same time, the results of a number of studies show that people who have decided to register their marriage have a significantly higher level of subjective happiness (Quari, 2014) as well as satisfaction with relations in the future (Kanter et al., 2021). Moreover, some researchers note a higher level of satisfaction with relations among partners in a registered marriage compared to premarital relations (Brown et al., 2021).
Analysis of the results of research and publications on this issue allows us to highlight the socio-economic and socio-psychological factors of the transition to a registered marriage. As for the socio-economic factors, it is noted that the socioeconomic status of the partners' parental family (i.e., the partners' belonging to one or another class in society) does not influence the decision of young people to register their marriage (Koops et al., 2021). It is also argued that in both unregistered and registered marriages, men have higher incomes than women, which indicates that financial equality between partners is not a feature of couples moving from an unregistered marriage to marital relations (Kapelle, Lersch, 2020). According to American researchers, partners who are in an unregistered marriage, belonging to the middle class, are more focused on engagement and marriage registration than partners of the same form of relations, belonging to the working class (Sassler, Miller, 2011). At the same time, it is indicated that subjective dissatisfaction with the economic situation stops young people from making a decision to start a family (Joshi et al., 2009).
The results of studies of the socio-psychological factors of readiness to move from an unregistered to registered marriage suggest that a high commitment to the alliance, in which the partners are, is associated with their desire to have children in the short term and their readiness to register a marriage: those couples who consider their unregistered relations as a preparation for marriage registration, more often plan the birth of children in the near future (Hiekel, CastroMartin, 2014). The socio-psychological factors of readiness to move on to a registered marriage are called "love for a partner" (Billari, Liefbroer, 2016), the focus on registering a marriage as such (Willoughby et al., 2012).
In modern studies of family psychology, there are, among other things, studies of the relations between partners living in the so-called "unregistered marriage" (Lidovskaya, 2009; Ryabikina et al., 2020, and others.). There are studies of the psychological readiness of young people for marital relations (Zholudeva,
3 Corselli-Nordblad, L., & Gereoffy, A. (2015). Marriage and birth statistics - new ways of living together in the EU. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Archive:Maniage_and_birth_statistics_-_new_ways_of_living_together_in_the_EU
2009; Zimina, 2016; Orlova, 2013; Yarygina, 2007, and others). However, the question of what personality traits are inherent in young people who prefer living together in an unregistered marriage (cohabitation), and which are more characteristic of young people who prefer building their life together on the basis of marital relations, is of great scientific relevance.
Based on the identified problem, the purpose of the study is to identify and analyze the personality features of young people (both men and women) that contribute to their transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations. In accordance with this purpose, the following two tasks are formulated:
1) to identify the personal characteristics (traits and individual values), which are predictors that determine the intention of young people, who are in an unregistered marriage, to register it, as well as to have and raise children. We conditionally designate the two indicated characteristics of the partners' intentions as readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations; and
2) to identify and analyze the personal characteristics (traits and individual values) of young people (both men and women), who are in registered and unregistered marriages.
As specific personality features that, presumably, can contribute to the transition of young people to marital relations, we have chosen the following two groups of qualities. Firstly, the personality traits according to Goldberg's five-factor model of personality (Goldberg, 1997). And, secondly, the individual human values according to the model of S.H. Schwartz (Schwartz, 2015). Both of these personality constructs are well theoretically substantiated and empirically verified. Goldberg's Five-Factor Model (FFM) includes a universal set of personality factors (i.e., traits) that can manifest themselves and determine the behavior of a person in a wide variety of life activities. At the same time, at least two of these factors, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, are, in our opinion, attributive characteristics of prosocial behavior, psychological maturity and the ability to take responsibility and take care of a partner in a long-term relationship. On the other hand, in Schwartz's theoretical model, the motivational values combined into the blocks Self-Transcendence and Openness to Change also characterize individuals as psychologically mature, focused not only on their personal achievements, but on helping other people and, at the same time, independent in their choices and actions, able to take on and bear responsibility for their life choices.
The main hypothesis: Readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations (i.e., commitment to enter into a registered marriage, have and raise children) is determined by the personality traits included in the FFM, in particular, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, as well as the individual values according to S.H. Schwartz, included in the blocks Self-Transcendence and Openness to Change.
Additional hypotheses: (1) the personality features of readiness for the transition to marital relations can be specific (different) for men and women who are in an unregistered marriage; and (2) there are significant differences in the personality features (severity of personality traits and individual values) among young people (both men and women), who are in an unregistered marriage (cohabitation) and in a registered marriage.
Methods
Participants. The study sample consisted of 264 people aged 18 to 35 years, including 144 people in an unregistered marriage (72 men and 72 women) who had lived in Moscow or the Moscow Region for at least 2 years, had no experience of a registered marriage, did not have children, had a heterosexual orientation, at the time of the study declared no other partners in relations; their terms of relations in an unregistered marriage with a current partner was from 6 months to 3 years. For comparison with the representatives of the main sample, a control group was formed, which included 120 people who were in a registered marriage (51 men and 69 women), corresponding in terms of the main socio-demographic parameters to their counterparts who lived in an unregistered marriage. At the first stage of the study, we conducted a survey of the respondents who were in an unregistered marriage. Our goal was to identify their personality features and indicators of their commitment to enter into a registered marriage as well as to have and raise children. At the second stage of the study, the respondents who were in a registered marriage were surveyed. In this group, we revealed the personality features of the respondents and indicators of their commitment to have and raise children.
Research instruments. To identify significant socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and determine indicators of their readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations, we used a questionnaire that included a scoring scale for the respondents' commitment to register their marriage as well as to have and raise children. To identify the leading value orientations of the partners, we used S.H. Schwartz's Values Questionnaire (Personal Profile Section) adapted by V.N. Karandashev (Schwartz, 2015; Karandashev, 2004). To identify the personality traits of the partners, a 50-point form of the L. Goldberg's Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) was used, adapted by K.V. Sugonyaev (Goldberg, 1997; Universal Psychodiagnostic System.., 2014).
The forms of both questionnaires were processed using the Multipsychome-ter hardware-software diagnostic complex, which converted the initial test scores into a 10-point equal-interval Sten scale, providing for artificial normalization, due to which it was possible to use parametric statistical methods. Mathematical and statistical data processing was carried out using the Statistica v.12 application package.
To identify the personal predictors of readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations, the apparatus of multiple linear step-by-step (inclusion method) regression analysis was used. To reveal significant differences between the independent samples, we used Student's t-test (for variables measured on an interval scale) and Mann - Whitney U-test (for ordinal variables). The relationship between variables was studied using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.
Results and discussion
Indicators of readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations. The severity of the indicators of readiness for the transition to a registered marriage was measured on a 10-point scale (in ascending order).
The respondents were asked to answer the following questions: "How much do you want to have children together with your current partner?", and "How much do you want to marry your partner?" The results of the correlation analysis of these variables using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant relationship between them (r = 0.37; p = 0.00). It was established that the partners in an unregistered marriage had a high value of Commitment to have and raise children (Me = 9) but a slightly lower value of Readiness to register a marriage (Me = 8). For the respondents in a registered marriage, the severity of Commitment to have and raise children was significantly higher (p = 0.001) compared to their counterparts in an unregistered marriage, and was at the highest level (Me = 10).
Significant differences were found between the men and women in an unregistered marriage in the severity of Commitment to have and raise children (women: Me = 10; men: Me = 8; p < 0.00) and Readiness to register a marriage (women: Me = 8.5; men: Me = 8; p < 0.1), while the women showed a greater severity of these indicators. This indicated a somewhat greater interest in creating a family, having and raising children, and registering a marriage among the female respondents who were in an unregistered marriage compared to their male counterparts.
Between the men and women in a registered marriage, there were no statistically significant differences in the severity of Commitment to have and raise children (men: Me = 10; women: Me = 10). This indicates that the commitment to have and raise children in the sample of the respondents who were in a registered marriage was equally high for both men and women.
Personal predictors of readiness for the transition from an unregistered to registered marriage. The data on the entire sample of the respondents (partners in both unregistered and registered marriages) obtained using S.H. Schwartz's Values Questionnaire, L. Goldberg's Five-Factor Personality Inventory and the indicator Readiness to register a marriage were standardized and had a normal distribution (Kolmogorov - Smirnov test at p < 0.05), which made it possible to use parametric statistics methods for their analysis. The search for personal predictors of readiness to the transition from an unregistered to registered marriage (on the sample of the respondents who were in an unregistered marriage) was performed using multiple linear stepwise regression analysis (inclusion method). This statistical procedure allowed us to draw a conclusion about the statistical influence of independent variables (in our case, the personal characteristics of the respondents) on the dependent one (readiness to register a marriage).
The results of the multiple linear regression analysis (inclusion method) for the entire sample of the respondents showed that their personality features explain 14.8% of the variance in their readiness to register a marriage (p = 0.000). Such personality traits as Agreeableness (standardized regression coefficient P = 0.254) and Openness to Experience (P = 0.209), and value Self-Direction (P = 0.220) have a positive effect on the readiness to register a marriage.
The results of the regression analysis for the male respondents were statistically significant (p = 0.000; the squared adjusted multiple regression coefficient R2adj = 0.296; F(4.67) = 8.47). Their readiness for marriage, 29.6%, is determined
by the personality traits Agreeableness (standardized coefficient P = 0.504), Emotional Stability (P = 0.220) as well as the values Achievement (P = 0.227) and Benevolence (P = -0.479). The more agreeable, benevolent and emotionally stable men are, and the more important for them the value Achievement is (the motivational basis of which is personal success in accordance with social standards), the more their readiness for marriage is shown. At the same time, the excessive importance for a man of the value of Benevolence (the motivational basis of which is the preservation and improvement of the well-being of his loved ones), does not contribute to his readiness for marriage. This can probably be explained by the fact that a man's circle of close people includes not only his partner, but also friends, parents, relatives, and expressed needs for positive interaction, affiliation and trusting relationships with close ones can reduce the readiness to marry, as a result which, most commonly, the circle of contacts decreases and these needs become scarce, i.e. less satisfied.
The results of the regression analysis for the female respondents were also statistically significant (p = 0.000; the squared adjusted multiple regression coefficient R2adj = 0.281; F(4.67) = 7.95). Their readiness for marriage, 28.1%, is determined by the personality traits Conscientiousness (standardized coefficient P = 0.338) and Extraversion (P = 0.220), as well as the values Self-Direction (P = 0.421) and Power (P = -0.335).
The more responsible, conscientious and reliable women are, and the more important for them the value Self-Direction is (the motivational basis of which is the need for self-control and self-government as well as the need for autonomy and independence), the more they show their readiness for marriage. Their readiness to marry is reduced by the excessive importance of the value Power (the motivational basis of which is the achievement of social status or prestige, control or dominance over people and means, in combination with prominent Extraversion), which can manifest itself in excessive sociability, the need to establish and maintain numerous contacts, while the transition to marital relations, and even more so the commitment to have and raise children, suggest at least a relative and temporary decrease both in the circle and intensity of contacts.
Thus, we can conclude that the readiness for marriage in men and women depends on different personality traits and values.
As for the indicator Commitment to have and raise children, the respondents' assessments were distributed polarly (the respondents noted only extreme positions on a 10-point scale: 0 or 10). Based on the results of comparing the two groups, statistically significant differences were revealed between them in the variables Agreeableness (p = 0.05) and Readiness to register a marriage (p = 0.01), which turned out to be more prominent in the group of the respondents who expressed a confident commitment to have and raise children.
Personality features of the partners in unregistered and registered marriages. Student's t-test was used to reveal differences in the severity of personality features of the partners in unregistered and registered marriages. Table shows the mean values and standard deviations of the variables (individual values and personality traits) of the compared samples as well as statistically significant differences between them.
Differences in the severity of individual values and personality traits of partners in registered and unregistered marriages, N = 264
Variables Registered marriage, n= 120 Unregistered marriage, n= 144) Student's t-test, p-level
Mean SD Mean SD
Conformity 3.88 2.54 5.39 2.67 4.79***
Tradition 3.74 1.85 6.06 1.99 9.72***
Benevolence 5.73 3.03 2.72 2.29 9.18***
Universalism 5.89 2.63 3.22 2.49 8.47***
Self-Direction 5.98 3.17 2.05 1.98 12.27***
Stimulation 5.08 2.62 2.99 1.85 7.53***
Hedonism 5.02 2.22 3.76 1.99 4.83***
Achievement 5.65 2.64 2.78 2.05 9.92***
Power 5.24 2.05 4.06 2.26 4.40***
Security 5.58 2.85 2.97 2.27 8.30***
Extraversion 5.17 1.48 5.48 1.57 1.65*
Agreeableness 5.13 1.33 4.49 1.45 3.75***
Conscientiousness 4.88 1.62 4.54 1.82 1.56
Emotional Stability 4.19 1.20 3.85 1.50 1.99**
Openness to Experience 4.53 1.57 4.67 1.55 0.73
Note: *p = 0.1; **p = 0.05; ***p = 0.01
Compared with the respondents in unregistered marriages, their counterparts in registered marriages showed higher values of Benevolence and Universalism, Self-Direction and Stimulation, Achievement and Power, united by Schwartz in the blocks of values Self-Transcendence, Openness to Change and Self-Affirmation. These values characterize a person as capable of making responsible choices, ready for changes in their usual way of life, for building a joint marital and family life with a focus not only on their own personal goals and interests, but also taking into account those of a partner, taking care of the wellbeing of their family members, in order to deserve and justify their trust. At the same time, the high significance of the values included in the block Self-Affirmation indicates the expressed need of the respondents to achieve personal success in life, high social status and approval. The personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability among the respondents in registered marriages were at a statistically significant level more noticeable than among their counterparts in unregistered marriages, which characterizes them as people who relate to life to a greater extent independently and quite calmly, confident in themselves and emotionally stable. They trust people; they are friendly, avoiding conflicts, in most cases subordinating their personal interests to the interests of the group. These data are consistent with our conceptual ideas about the greater "pro-social" orientation of partners who are in a registered marriage.
On the other hand, the respondents in unregistered marriages, as compared to their counterparts in registered marriages, showed higher, at a statistically significant level, values of the severity of Tradition and Conformity. In accordance with the conceptual ideas of the author of the methodology, these are values associated with the motivational orientation of an individual to protect themselves
from threats, avoid anxiety and maintain the established order. The lower values of the severity of Benevolence and Universalism, combined with the lower values of the personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability among the partners in unregistered marriages, indicate their self-interest orientation, self-centeredness and psychological instability rather than their desire for "prosocial" behavior. Moreover, the lower values of Self-Direction and Stimulation among the partners in unregistered marriages, in combination with the more noticeable Conformity, indicate, in our opinion, their less noticeable need for freedom in decision-making and greater dependence on other people's opinions.
We also analyzed the differences in the severity of value orientations and personality traits between the respondents in registered and unregistered marriages separately in the male and female samples. According to the data obtained, significant differences were revealed between the men and women in the compared close relationships in most of the same variables for which differences were found across the entire sample of the respondents. Both men and women in registered marriages had significantly more pronounced motivational values Benevolence and Universalism, Self-Direction and Stimulation. These data indicate their greater responsibility and desire for independent opinions and judgments.
A distinctive feature of the female sample was that only in it, unlike the sample of men, statistically significant differences were found in the severity of the personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability, the values of which were higher among the women in registered marriages.
Summarizing the obtained results, we can say that the identified personality features of readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations, involving marriage registration, the birth and upbringing of children, are associated with a benevolent and prosocial life position, independence and autonomy of judgments and actions, striving for achievement and readiness for changes in the habitual way of life.
Conclusion
As a result of the study, the personality features that contribute to the transition of young people (both men and women) from an unregistered marriage (cohabitation) to marital relations were identified.
We searched for these personality features in two directions. Firstly, in the sample of the respondents who were in an unregistered marriage (cohabitation), we identified and analyzed the personality traits and value orientations, which served as factors of statistical influence on assessments of readiness for marriage as well as the birth and upbringing of children. The hypothesis that the readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations based on the personality traits Agreeableness and Conscientiousness and individual values, united by S.H. Schwartz in the blocks of Self-Transcendence and Openness to Change, was partially confirmed. Readiness to register a marriage was determined by the personality traits Agreeableness and Openness to Experience, as well as the value Self-Direction. In the group of the respondents who expressed a confident commitment to have and raise children, Agreeableness and Readiness to register a marriage turned out to stand out more. Thus, the personality trait Agreeableness
was the leading factor in readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations.
The hypothesis suggesting that the personal predictors of readiness for the transition to marital relations might be specific (different) in men and women in an unregistered marriage was confirmed. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the readiness to register a marriage in the male and female respondents was determined by different personality traits and individual values. Thus, for the men, it depended on the personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability and the values Benevolence and Achievement, whereas, for the women, it was based on the personality traits Conscientiousness and Extraversion and the values Self-Direction and Power.
The men who were in an unregistered marriage and showed a high level of readiness to register a marriage were characterized by higher values of such personality traits as Agreeableness and Emotional Stability, as well as a higher significance of the value Achievement and a lower significance of the value Benevolence. In the women, the readiness to register a marriage was determined by the personality traits Conscientiousness (positive influence) and Extraversion (negative influence), as well as the values Self-Direction (positive influence) and Power (negative influence). Thus, the personality features specific to men and women in an unregistered marriage, which act as predictors of their readiness to register a marriage, were empirically identified.
Secondly, we carried out a comparative analysis of the personality features of the respondents who were in an unregistered marriage (cohabitation) and a registered marriage. The hypothesis that between partners in a registered and unregistered marriage, there could be differences in the severity of personality traits and the significance of individual values, was fully confirmed. The partners in a registered marriage, to a greater extent than their counterparts in an unregistered marriage, showed the significance of the values Universalism, Benevolence, Self-Direction and Stimulation, combined by S.H. Schwartz into the blocks of values Self-Transcendence and Openness to Change, as well as the severity of prosocial personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability.
A comparative analysis of the values of the studied variables in the male and female respondents in close relationships of different status showed that in the female sample there were more differences between the partners who were in a registered and unregistered marriage. A distinctive feature of the female sample was that only in it, unlike the male sample, statistically significant differences were found in the severity of the personality traits Agreeableness and Emotional Stability. The values of these variables were higher for the women who were in a registered marriage. Thus, we empirically revealed differences in the personality features of the respondents who were in a registered and unregistered marriage, both common for the entire sample and specific, characteristic only for the women.
Attention should be paid to the correspondence of some of the identified personal factors of readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations and the results of comparing the severity of personality traits and value orientations of the partners in a registered and unregistered marriage. These factors include the value Self-Direction and the personality trait Agreeableness. The high significance of the value Self-Direction is interpreted by us as independence
in decision-making, self-sufficiency of opinions and judgments, and the personality trait Agreeableness is considered as a prosocial life position in interaction with a partner, orientation to another person and his/her interests. And, on the contrary, the respondents who were in an unregistered marriage turned out to have more noticeable value orientations Tradition and Conformity, which might indicate their unreadiness or unwillingness to change their established habits and lifestyle.
The obtained results can be used to scientifically substantiate practical recommendations for managers and specialists involved in the support and development of the family institution in modern Russian society, as well as in the practice of individual and family counseling.
Despite the fact that we have examined in sufficient detail the question of the role of the personal features of readiness for the transition from an unregistered marriage to marital relations, there is a need for further research on the personal predictors of a real transition to marital relations. Thus, the actual continuation of our study will be the analysis of the personality features of partners who lived in an unregistered marriage and switched to a registered marriage, in comparison with those who continued to live in an unregistered marriage. Another important aspect of the continuation of the study is the analysis of the quality of relations in couples, for example, the assessment of satisfaction with relationship within the framework of marital interaction in a registered and unregistered marriage, particularly, among the respondents who switched from an unregistered marriage to marital relations.
To study the personality features associated with a real (confirmed) transition from an unregistered marriage to a registered marriage, it is advisable to track the relationship status of the partners in an unregistered marriage who took part in this study. This will make it possible to conduct a comparative analysis of the severity of personality traits and individual values, as well as indicators of readiness for the transition from unregistered marriage to marital relations ("Commitment to have and raise children" and "Readiness to register a marriage") in groups of respondents who, some time after they registered their marriage, continued living in an unregistered marriage, or ended their relations.
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Article history:
Received 15 March 2023 Revised 25 April 2023 Accepted 26 April 2023
For citation:
Poznyakov, V.P., Poddubny, S.E., & Panfilova, Yu.M. (2023). Personality features that contribute to transition of young people from unregistered marriage to marital relations. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 20(2), 229-243. http://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2023-20-2-229-243
Author's contribution:
Vladimir P. Poznyakov - concept and design of the study, writing and editing the text. Sergey E. Poddubny - statistical processing and data analysis, text editing. Yulia M. Panfilova - collection and processing of materials, text editing.
Conflicts of interest:
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. Bio notes:
Vladimir P. Poznyakov, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, chief researcher, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). ORCID: 0000-0003-4524-4589; eLIBRARY SPIN-code: 9187-7641. E-mail: pozn_v@mail.ru
Sergey E. Poddubny, Ph.D. in Psychology, Associate Professor, Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). ORCID: 0000-00032271-2992. E-mail: serpodd@mail.ru
Yulia M. Panfilova, postgraduate student, Laboratory of Social and Economic Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). ORCID: 00000003-0756-1962. E-mail: panfilova-julia@mail.ru
Б01: 10.22363/2313-1683-2023-20-2-229-243 ББК: 1№ЕШ0и
УДК 316.6
Исследовательская статья
Личностные особенности, способствующие переходу молодых людей от незарегистрированного брака к семейно-брачным отношениям
В.П. Позняков , С.Е. Поддубный , Ю.М. Панфилова
Институт психологии Российской академии наук, Российская Федерация, 129366, Москва, ул. Ярославская, д. 13, корп. 1
► < pozn_v@mail.ru
Аннотация. Исследование посвящено изучению роли личностных черт и ценностных ориентаций молодых людей (мужчин и женщин) как факторов, способствующих переходу от отношений незарегистрированного брака к семейно-брачным отношениям. Выявлялись различия в выраженности личностных черт и значимости индивидуальных ценностей у партнеров, проживающих в незарегистрированном и зарегистрированном браках. Выборка включала две группы респондентов в возрасте от 18 до 35 лет: партнеров, состоящих в незарегистрированном браке (сожительстве) - 144 человека (50 % мужчин, 50 % женщин), и партнеров, состоящих в зарегистрированном браке - 120 человек (42,5 % мужчин, 57,5 % женщин). Применялись опросник ценностей Ш. Шварца (раздел «Профиль личности»), 50-пунктовая форма 5-факторного опросника Л. Голдберга, шкалы для оценки намерения вступить в брак и нацеленности на рождение и воспитание детей. Для обработки результатов использовался аппаратно-программный диагностический комплекс «Мультипсихометр» с переводом исходных тестовых оценок в 10-балльную равноинтервальную шкалу. Наличие и характер статистического влияния устанавливались с помощью множественного линейного регрессионного анализа, выявление статистиче-
ских различий осуществлялось методами ¿-критерия Стьюдента и критерия Манна -Уитни. По результатам исследования, личностная черта «добросердечность» выступила ведущим фактором нацеленности на рождение и воспитание детей, а также готовности зарегистрировать брак с партнером. Выявлены статистически значимые различия в выраженности личностных черт и значимости индивидуальных ценностей у партнеров, состоящих в зарегистрированном и незарегистрированном браках: у респондентов, состоящих в зарегистрированном браке, достоверно более выражены такие черты личности, как добросердечность и эмоциональная стабильность, и для них более значимы ценности «универсализм», «доброта» и «самостоятельность». Полученные данные могут быть использованы для научного обоснования практических рекомендаций для руководителей и специалистов, занимающихся поддержкой и развитием института семьи современного российского общества, а также в практике индивидуального и семейного консультирования.
Ключевые слова: незарегистрированный брак, семейно-брачные отношения, личностные особенности, ценностные ориентации, личностные черты
Благодарности и финансирование. Исследование выполнено при поддержке гранта Российского научного фонда № 22-28-00356.
История статьи:
Поступила в редакцию 15 марта 2023 г. Принята к печати 26 апреля 2023 г.
Для цитирования:
Позняков В.П., Поддубный С.Е., Панфилова Ю.М. Личностные особенности, способствующие переходу молодых людей от незарегистрированного брака к семейно-брачным отношениям // Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов. Серия: Психология и педагогика. 2023. Т. 20. № 2. С. 229-243. http://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2023-20-2-229-243
Вклад авторов:
B.П. Позняков - концепция и дизайн исследования, написание и редактирование текста.
C.Е. Поддубный - статистическая обработка и анализ данных, редактирование текста. Ю.М. Панфилова - сбор и обработка материалов, редактирование текста.
Заявление о конфликте интересов:
Авторы заявляют об отсутствии конфликта интересов.
Сведения об авторах:
Позняков Владимир Петрович, доктор психологических наук, профессор, главный научный сотрудник, Институт психологии, Российская академия наук (Москва, Россия). ORCID: 0000-0003-4524-4589; eLIBRARY SPIN-код: 9187-7641. E-mail: pozn_v@mail.ru
Поддубный Сергей Евтихиевич, кандидат психологических наук, доцент, ассоциированный научный сотрудник, Институт психологии, Российская академия наук (Москва, Россия). ORCID: 0000-0003-2271-2992. E-mail: serpodd@mail.ru
Панфилова Юлия Михайловна, выпускница аспирантуры, лаборатория социальной и экономической психологии, Институт психологии, Российская академия наук (Москва, Россия). ORCID: 0000-0003-0756-1962. E-mail: panfilova-julia@mail.ru