ABSTRACT 

This study investigated the extent to which personality variables and mate selection preferences correlate with marital stability in Imo State. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlation research design. The sample for the study consisted of 1,496 (956 males and 540 female) married persons drawn through multi-stage sample technique from a target population of 149,606 (95,621 males and 53,985 female) married persons with age range between 40-44 for married men and 35-39 for married women who had been married for one to ten years (1-10years). Three instruments namely: Personality Variables Questionnaire (PVQ), Mate Selection Preferences Questionnaire (MSPQ) and Dyadic Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (DMAQ) were developed by researcher and validated by three experts: one from Psychology, one from Guidance and Counselling and one expert from Measurement and Evaluation; all from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The internal consistency of the instruments were determined through use of Cronbach Alpha method and reliability indices of 0.82, 0.80 and 0.76 were obtained for PVQ, MSPQ and DMAQ respectively. The data obtained through the administration of the instruments were analysed using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient to answer research questions. Linear regression was used to test null hypotheses 1, 2, 4 and 5, while multiple regressions were used to test null hypotheses 3 at 0.05 level of significance. Scheffe’s test was also done for a step-wise comparison of the means for hypotheses 3. The study revealed the following findings: Personality variables and mate selection preferences jointly and significantly correlate with marital stability. Personality variables had higher percentage contribution of .534 (which is 53.4%) than mate selection preferences which had .434 (43.4%) in marital stability; Male and female personality variables predicted only 5.0% and 5.4% of the marital stability respectively. Therefore, there was no significant difference in the correlation between male and female personality variable in marital stability. There was no significant difference in the correlation between male and female mate selection preferences in marital stability in Imo State. Male and female mate selection preferences predicted only 4.6% and 4.5% of the variance observed in marital stability respectively. It was thus recommended that intending couples should be mindful of differing personality traits and mate selection preference styles that can lead to marital satisfaction in their relationship and the consequent effects of the psycho-social effects on them and the children they would give birth to from the marriage.