An Exploration of the Latent Profiles of Marriage Values Across Generations and the Influencing Factors: Gender, Family Strengths, and Self-Determination

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct Latent Profile Analysis to identify the types of marriage values within each generation and explore the influence of gender, family health, and self-determination on each type. This study was conducted as an online survey through social networking sites (SNS) for the Second Generation of Baby Boomers (1965~1974), Generation X (1975~1984), Generation Y (1985~1996), and Generation Z (1997~2003). A total of 1,114 copies were used for the final analysis. Latent Profile Analysis was conducted using Mplus ver. 8.8 software to identify the types of marriage values within each generation and explore the influence of gender, family health, and self-determination on each type. The significance of this study lies in the identification of a group in each generation that holds ambivalent values about marriage. Additionally, we identified differences between gender and self-determination as variables that affect marriage values, excluding family variables. Therefore, it is significant to understand marriage values by considering generational characteristics. Based on this, it is believed that it can provide a basis for education and counseling programs related to marriage, reflecting the important variables unique to each generation.