Gender Differences in Marital Attitudes, Expectations and Intentions to Marry In Two Universities in Nairobi, Kenya

This study sought to discover if there were any gender differences in young adults' marital attitudes, expectations, and intentions to many in two universities, one public and one private, in Nairobi Kenya. These were: the United States International University-Africa (USIU-A: N= 209), and the University of Nairobi (UON: N= 193). This study used a cross-sectional survey design. Convenient sampling method were used to recruit respondents. Marital attitudes, expectations, and intent to marry was assessed using Marital Attitudes and Expectations Scales (MAES) by Park and Rosen (2013). Results showed that males in both samples had significantly higher positive marital attitudes (USIU-A: r (207) = 2.68; p = .01; UON: t (191) = 1.96; p = .052). Female participants repotted higher mean scores for negative attitudes (USIU-A: M = 10.43; UON: M= 10.79) than male participants (USIU-A M= 10.28, UON: M= 10.66), but these were not significant. Male participants in the USIU-A sample, r (207) = 2.03, p = .04, had significantly higher fears/doubts about marriage than the UON sample, r (191) = 1.91, p = .06. Female participants from both samples endorsed higher expectations of romance, respect, trust, meaning, and physical intimacy within their marriages than males. Only females in the USIU-A sample, t (207) = -2.06, p = .04, endorsed significantly higher expectations of financial stability than males. Males in both samples had higher intentions (USIU-A: M= 11.97; UON: M= 13.04) to marry than females (USIUS-A: M = 11.54; UON: M= 12.27). Future research should explore the influence that one's socioeconomic background has on their marital attitudes, expectations, and intentions to many. Also, whether parental marital status or parental conflict is a better predictor of one's marital attitudes and intentions to marry.