The effect of marital messages received from family of origin and friends on expectations from the spouse

The aim of this study is to analyse marital messages received by emerging adults from their families and friends and their spousal expectations and to determine the predictive relation between marital messages they receive from these sources and their spousal expectations. The participants of the study were 544 never-married emerging adults, 387 women and 157 men. The research data were collected with Marital Messages Scale, Spousal Expectations Scale and Personal Information Form. T-test, ANOVA and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were implemented to analyse data. As a result of the study, a significant difference determined between genders and perceptions on the marriage of their parents of the participants. As for marital messages received from friends, a significant difference between gender and romantic relationship status was determined. A significant difference between spousal expectations of the participants in terms of variables of the way their parents married and gender. Additionally, marital messages received from parents and friends were together found to be explaining 5% of the total variance with relation to spousal expectations.