The Psychological Adjustment of the Single Male Adult Compared with Married Males and Single and Married Females Aged 25–34

Abstract

The literature on the single male suggests that singleness is psychologically unhealthy and possibly even damaging. The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and the Dean Alienation Scale were administered to single and married populations of seven evangelical churches in the Los Angeles area. The 233 subjects were all from 25–34 years of age and divided into four groups based on sex and marital status. The single men were found to report significantly less dominance, social presence, self-acceptance, communality, and intellectual efficiency than the married men. The single men did not significantly differ from the single women on any of the scales. It was concluded that while married men are more well-adjusted than single men, there is no difference between the adjustment of single men and women.