A Study on The Correlation Between Career Aspirations and Marital Relationships

Abstract

The legal age for marriage in India for women and men is 18 and 21 years respectively. Despite that many young individuals prefer to marry late for a variety of reasons, some of which include career and educational aspirations. The present study explores the correlation between individuals’ career aspirations and marital relationships, to understand if there is any significant and meaningful relationship between the different dimensions of aspirations of individuals and their outlook on marital relationships. A sample of 132 adults, aged 20 to 35, was selected for the study. To assess the career aspirations, Career Aspiration Scale – Revised, developed by Gregor and O’Brien (2015), was used, and outlook on marital relationships was assessed using the three Marital Scales developed by Park and Rosén (2013). Statistical analyses, including means, standard deviations, t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and regression analysis were conducted for data analysis. There were no significant differences found for male and female respondents and hence a global analysis was conducted. The study revealed a positive significant relationship between the dimensions of career aspirations and expectations from aspects of marriage. Understanding the relationship between these variables can have important implications for pre-marital, marital, as well as career counseling.