I AM NOT ‘MARRIAGE MATERIAL’: SELF-IDENTITY, PERCEIVED SOCIAL INADEQUACY, AND GAMOPHOBIA AMONG NEVER-MARRIED ADULTS

Abstract

Never-married adults increasingly experience internalized beliefs of being “not marriage material,” shaped by fragile self-identity and heightened perceptions of social inadequacy in sociocultural contexts where marriage is highly valued. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship among self-identity, perceived social inadequacy, and gamophobia among never-married adults. It was a correlational research-based study and purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit sample. Three self-reported measures were used to collect data. The results revealed that positive self-concept was significantly and negatively associated with negative self-concept, perceived social inadequacy, and Gamophobia, whereas negative self-concept showed positive associations with both inadequacy and gamophobia. Regression analysis indicated that positive self-concept negatively predicted gamophobia, while negative self-concept and feelings of inadequacy emerged as significant positive predictors; additionally, women reported higher levels of gamophobia than men. The findings highlight those vulnerabilities in self-identity and heightened perceived social inadequacy play a critical role in the development of Gamophobia among never-married adults. Addressing these underlying cognitive and self-concept distortions may help reduce fear of marriage and promote healthier relational readiness, particularly among women.