The relationship of self-esteem and spiritual intelligence with fear of marriage in college students; The mediating role of psychological hardiness
Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health),
Vol. 10 No. 3 (1403),
11 November 2025
,
Page 65-80
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v10i3.44369
Abstract
Background and Objective: Discovering the interaction of psychological structures and the collective effect on attitudes towards marriage in our society seems to be a vital issue and addresses a significant gap in psychology and marital counseling. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship of self-esteem and spiritual intelligence with fear of marriage in college students with the mediation of mental toughness.
Methods: The present study was descriptive-correlational in nature. The statistical population comprised all male and female students at the Islamic Azad University, Sardasht Branch, totaling 670 individuals, of whom 358 were selected through purposive sampling. For data collection, standardized tools were employed including Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965), King's Spiritual Intelligence Scale (2000), Ahvaz Psychological Hardiness Scale (2006), and Richard's Fear of Marriage Scale (2007). Data analysis was conducted using Spearman's correlation tests and Structural Equation Modeling on SPSS and AMOS Version 24.
Results: Self-esteem had a significant inverse effect on fear of marriage (β = -0.330, P < 0.001). Similarly, spiritual intelligence significantly inversely affected fear of marriage (β = -0.210, P < 0.001). Psychological hardiness also had a significant inverse effect on fear of marriage (β = -0.20, P < 0.001). The indirect effect of self-esteem on fear of marriage through psychological hardiness was significant and inverse (β = -0.054, P < 0.001). Likewise, the indirect effect of spiritual intelligence on fear of marriage through psychological hardiness was negative and significant (β = -0.062, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Self-esteem, spiritual intelligence, and psychological hardiness significantly inversely affected fear of marriage, underscoring their diminishing role in this phenomenon. Specifically, it was found that self-esteem and spiritual intelligence not only directly but also indirectly reduced fear of marriage through enhancing psychological hardiness.
- Fear of Marriage
- Psychological hardiness
- Self-esteem
- Spiritual intelligence
- Students
How to Cite
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